Signs Of Love
by WistfulOceans
Summary: Janai told herself that she couldn't like a human. A human woman, even. But that smile, that cute smile ... it made her knees go weak. ••• First Janaya attempt. Hope you like it. [Note that English isn't my first language, be polite]
1. Chapter 1

_You have to look. If you want to live, you have to look into __the__ light!_  
Somehow Amaya trusted her, the elf who had wanted to kill her only hours ago. The elf who called her "human", the elf who had captured and thrown her into a fire ring. The prison of the sunfire elves.  
And now this elf was saving her life - just like Amaya had saved hers.  
After that they'd be even. Yet the General doubted that they'd let her go.  
While the dark skinned elf was gripping her, forcing her to stare into the light, her eyesight slowly vanished. She thought of her nephews, who would take care of them now? She wasn't a good aunt, deaf and mute, but soon she'd also be blind. No mother, no father, a completely disabled aunt.  
Tears were streaming down her cheeks as the sunlight finally took her eyesight.  
Everything was gone now. She couldn't speak, couldn't hear ... and now she also couldn't see anymore.  
All she could feel were hands pulling her up and away. She let them. If it was her sunfire elf, she trusted her to bring her somewhere safe.  
But why? Why did she trust her?  
_Because __there__ is something between us, _Amaya thought.  
There was a spark between them since the beginning.  
Amaya felt them placing her on something soft. A bed. A gentle hand touched her cheek, her forehead. She felt them pulling her eyes open but she couldn't see anything.  
The General kept still. Had she just really thought of _her _sunfire elf?  
She was the dark elf, the Golden Knight elf ... but not _her_ elf.  
Someone took Amaya's hand and let her grip something. Hair. Long dreadlocks.  
Amaya loosened her stiff position and pulled her hands to herself, starting to form words with them as good as possible.  
_Thank you, _she told her. _Thank you for __saving__ me. My name is __Amaya__._

"Amaya," Kazi told Janai. "She says her name is Amaya."  
"Looks like she recognised me," Janai said with a light smile and stroke her long braids. "Can you tell her that her eyesight will soon to be returned?"  
"I'm afraid not," Kazi said and touched their glasses. "She can't see."  
"Try with her hands. Or wait - show me the signs, I will try." Janai leant forward and took the human's hands. She was smiling, her lips formed something.  
One word, a short one.  
_Elf._  
"Human," Janai replied quietly but she was smiling too. "Show me now, Kazi."  
Kazi slowly showed Janai the words she had to form with her prisoner's hands, while Janai was ignoring her heart that was thudding fast against her ribcage. Why though?  
Because that smile was irritating?  
Because that human was somehow ... cute?  
Her sister had told her to "enjoy her pet". Janai was still unsure what she had meant with that, the only explanation was that she had to play with her like with a pet.  
_I __won't_ _do__ that, _Janai thought as her hands caressed the human's hands, moving her fingers like Kazi showed her.  
Amaya's facial expression was soft, much to Janai's surprise. She couldn't hear nor talk nor see ... and yet she laid there and smiled. Waited until her eyesight came back. Brave woman. Well, she was a soldier, a General. And she seemed to trust her ...  
"That was it," Kazi ended and Janai pulled her hands back.  
"She now knows that she will see again?" Janai asked, eyeing the human. She looked very peaceful.  
"I guess, if you moved her hands correctly," Kazi replied. "I think so, she doesn't look afraid or anything."  
"Okay," Janai said and thought about what to do next. Again it came to her mind that Khessa had told her to enjoy her "pet". Pet. Janai still couldn't believe that her sister had used this word. If she only knew that this human - Amaya - had saved her life!  
"Amaya," Janai mumbled. "She must be hungry ..."  
"Should I go and get some food?" Kazi offered and Janai nodded.  
"I guess this would be the best. I'm scared that someone would attack her if I left her alone with you."  
"Please not," the young elf said, took a bow with her hands crossed in front of her face, and left the room.  
Soon after they left, Amaya started making some signs again.  
Janai took her hand.  
"It's only me," she said, knowing that it was senseless. "I don't understand you."  
Even though Amaya definitely couldn't hear her, she smiled. Again ...  
She quit making signs and took the elf's hand between hers.  
Her lips formed something.  
_Thank you._  
"You're welcome," Janai mumbled. "You've already thanked me ... and I haven't thanked you before. Maybe I should. And maybe you should sleep now. Kazi will be back with food soon, I will wake you ..."  
She looked around in her room.  
Yes, they had brought her into her room, placed her on her own bed.  
She knew she couldn't take her back to the fire prison at the moment, so she would stay here until she had her eyesight back. It wouldn't last long, only a few hours. If she slept now, she would wake up and see again.  
But one thing was sure:  
Janai wouldn't leave her until this happened.

Amaya knew that someone tried to feed her. At first they placed something really good smelling in front of her nose, then they placed it against her lips. Amaya didn't open her mouth though, in case they tried to poison her. She didn't know who wanted to feed her, if it wasn't her elf, she wouldn't eat it for sure.  
So she kept her mouth shut - until someone stroke her cheek.  
Her heart stood still for a moment. Could it be ...?  
Only her elf showed affection like taking her hands but caressing her cheeks?  
Amaya's cheeks were burning as the elf travelled her finger along her jawline, over lips ...  
Amaya shook her head. No. It could be any of them, pretending they were her. Maybe they had seen that there was something between them and now they used this knowledge to make her eat their poisoned food.  
Amaya was only convinced as the elf took her hand and let her feel her hair again.  
And this time she made her hand go up, touching the headpiece that covered her horns.  
Only she wore that crown that belonged to the so called "Golden Knight of Lux Aurea".  
Amaya felt her cheeks heating up even more. Damn it. What was happening to her?  
Like an obedient child she opened her mouth and let the elven knight feed her.

Janai could melt.  
The General's cheeks were red and her eyes were closed as she finally opened her mouth.  
A little moan escaped her lips as the food touched her tongue.  
"There, I knew she was hungry," Janai mumbled, more to herself than to Kazi, yet the other elf replied.  
"Of course. You didn't really give her a lot until now."  
"Hm," Janai made and shrugged. "Don't you think it's weird that she trusts me like that?"  
"Why, I think it's sweet," Kazi replied. "You don't plan to kill her, do you?"  
"Of course not," Janai said quickly. "She could get quite useful for us ... as a hostage. Or just for fun ..."  
"Fun, Milady?" Kazi sounded panicking.  
"I don't know, I think she's a funny human." Janai had to grin. "You remember what she said? To shove my sword up my ass. Hilarious. I think we do have the same kind of humour."  
Kazi hesitated. "If you say so ..."  
"I definitely won't kill her. I might keep her ... not as a pet, of course. I don't know why Khessa said that." Janai shook her head. "But look at her. Deaf, mute, blind ... and still so brave. And she has a pure heart. She's something special, I just know."  
Her facial expressions softened. How could she be mad at her for spitting at her sister? She had saved her life, she was an honourable warrior. She was brave, funny and good-looking ...  
What?  
Janai backed away at the thought.  
"K-Kazi," she gasped. "Please continue feeding her, I need to ... I need to go. I'll be back soon."  
She had promised not to leave her but she needed some time to think.

For a short time there was no one feeding her but then they started again. Amaya immediately sensed that it wasn't her elf anymore - the smell was different-, so she kept her mouth shut again.  
The elf took her hands and formed following words:  
_It's__ alright. __It's__ me, __Kazi__. The Golden Knight __needed__ to __go__._  
_Where to? Will she be back? _Amaya's hands signed and Kazi replied,  
_Soon. Maybe you should sleep a while._  
_You're__ right, _Amaya signed. _I'll__ sleep __for__ a bit. Thank you for the __food__._  
She laid down on the bed and felt how Kazi pulled a blanket over her body.  
Amaya smiled. She used to hate elves ...

When she opened her eyes, she noticed that her eyesight was coming back. Her vision was blurred but definitely there.  
Her heart was racing as she looked around the room she was in, a golden room.  
_Of the Golden Knight, _she thought and looked to her right, where the Golden Knight herself was sitting and watching her.  
Amaya smiled. She looked around again but didn't see another elf, which meant she couldn't talk to her elf ...  
Said elf moved her lips but Amaya's vision was too blurred to make out what she was saying. She squinted her eyes and the elf seemed to understand. She came closer, very close.  
Amaya felt her heartbeat speed up once again as the tall elf leant over her, her face close to hers.  
She had never been so close.  
Now Amaya could interpret what she was saying.  
_Are you feeling better?_  
Amaya nodded, with a smile. _Thank you._  
_You're_ _thanking__ me __again__, _the knight replied. _I __haven't_ _thanked__ you for a __single__ time about what __you've__ done for me at the breach. I should be the one who's thanking __you__ ... __I__ am deeply in your debt._  
Amaya smiled again and shook her head. She reached up to caress her cheek as the knight had done before but before she could touch the dark skin, the elf pulled away. Amaya let her arm sink in disappointment and leant back again. She tried to soothe her pounding heart. What was wrong with her?  
But soon she saw why the elf had pulled away. Kazi had returned and for a while she watched them talking.

"Let me do it," Janai insisted again. "I know you think you can't let me do it because I'm the queen's sister but I'm very capable."  
"No, that's not it," Kazi defended herself. "The healer told me how to apply it, so -"  
"Then show me," Janai said calmly. "She trusts me. More than anyone, heaven knows why."  
Kazi sighed. "Okay." She gave the little bottle to the knight, who sat down next to the deaf General.  
"I'm going to put these eye drops into your eyes," she explained slowly. "I've never done something like this before but ... I hope you trust me."  
Amaya looked at her and nodded.  
"The plant is called _Lycium __barbarum_ ... it's a Xadian fruit that is used for cases like this ... hold still."  
She placed her shaking hand on the General's cheek, travelled up to her eye. "Trust me," she mumbled, even though she knew that the human trusted her already. The small smile of the General made her sure of that.  
"Pull her lower eyelid down a bit," she heard Kazi instruct and did what they said.  
"Great ... now be sure to drop one drop into her eye, only one."  
Janai lifted the bottle over Amaya's right eye, tilting it carefully. A drop escaped the bottle and hit the woman's eye, who let out a hiss.  
"Yes, it burns," Janai mumbled. She didn't know for sure but she suspected it to burn.  
Amaya's hands moved.  
"It's okay," Kazi translated. "They're just cold."  
"Oh," Janai said and moved on to the left eye. "Be prepared now."  
Amaya stared at her lips.  
Of course, Janai told herself, how else should she read her lips?  
She dropped the second drop into her eye a little faster and this time Amaya didn't hiss.  
"There," Janai said gently. "It's done."  
The human blinked a few times, smiled and signed something.  
"It already helps," Kazi translated. "Thank you, Golden Knight."  
"Janai. My name is Janai."  
Amaya's eyes flickered over to Kazi, who felt lost.  
"I'm not sure about how to translate your name," they said and Janai stood up from the bed, looking for a quill and a piece of parchment.  
"Can you read?" she asked and blushed lightly as Amaya started grinning at her. She signed something.  
"I'm deaf, not dumb," Kazi said for the General, "I can read."  
"Sorry," Janai mumbled and wrote down her name, showing it to the human. "Janai," she repeated gently and pointed at herself. "My name."  
And Amaya smiled at her, signing her name.  
Janai got lost in her eyes and smile and suddenly she felt the urge to run away again.  
She couldn't like a _human_. She couldn't! She was a human!  
But Janai didn't run away. She stayed and sat down on the bed again.  
"Tell me about yourself," she whispered.


	2. Chapter 2

"What do you want to know?" Kazi translated and Janai lifted her shoulders.  
"Let's start slowly. He old are you?"  
"Slowly, hm?" Kazi couldn't suppress a giggle. "I'm 35. What about you?"  
"36," Janai replied and caught Amaya smiling lightly.  
But she didn't reply.  
"Where are you from?" Janai asked on and Kazi's voice reached her ear from behind her,  
"A kingdom called Katolis. I'm the General of the standing battalion."  
"How can a deaf woman be the General?" Janai asked, not wanting to offend her.  
Amaya looked a little offended though, her lips were pressed together as she signed stiffly.  
"Because ... I'm the best fighter existing, elf," Kazi said and Janai had to smile.  
"I don't think so. I captured you, didn't I?" she said and added, "Human."  
Now Amaya's face softened a bit. And then she grinned provoking.  
"Yes, but only after I saved you," Kazi said and Janai laughed.  
"If the fight hadn't been at the border, I would have captured you anyway," she insisted. "After five minutes and without you saving my life."  
"Is that a challenge?"  
Janai could see the cocky look in Amaya's face.  
"Maybe. Yes." The elf smiled. "I'm challenging you - After your eyesight returns fully."  
Amaya's grin got broader and she nodded.  
She was accepting the challenge.  
"Have you always been deaf?" Janai asked on and again Amaya nodded.  
"I wish I haven't," Kazi said, "I have never had the pleasure of listening to music, my mother and sister talking, birds singing, my nephews' voices."  
"That's so sad," Janai said and Amaya shrugged, signing on.  
"I don't know what I've been missing, so it's okay. Though I'd really like to hear your voice. I bet you have a beautiful voice."  
"W-what?" Janai stuttered.  
"I'm sure I interpreted it right," Kazi replied and Amaya nodded. "Is it deep? Tell me, is your voice deep?"  
"It's - uh - normal," Janai said, knowing that I wouldn't help her to make an imagination about her voice. "I guess it's quite okay?" She wasn't sure where this was leading to.  
"You have a nice voice," Kazi said. "That's, uhm, my opinion."  
Janai laughed.  
"Thanks. Kazi said I have a nice voice."  
Amaya smiled and nodded.  
Her eyes were so gentle.  
"Eh - hm," Janai made, feeling her cheeks burn. "I don't know, I think that's it. Do you have any questions?"  
Amaya nodded, then lifted her hands up again and signed,  
"Only one. Why do you only ask me about private things? I'm your prisoner, shouldn't you interrogate me about my kingdom or my army?"  
"Well, the interrogation is for Kazi to make," Janai replied. "That's what Khessa wishes."  
"Who?" Kazi said and Janai looked down at the human General.  
"My sister Khessa, the queen of Lux Aurea."  
Amaya's eyes went wide. And her cheeks turned red, madly red.  
With shaking hands she signed.  
"The queen is your sister? Oh my ... I'm sorry for spitting at your sister. I showed no respect for the queen as a statement but I didn't mean to be disrespectful to a family member of yours. I'm sorry, Janai."  
The dark skinned elf felt her cheeks burn. Why did she apologise like that only because the queen was her sister?  
"It's okay. I ... I actually thought you were really brave." Her lips curled into a smile. "Also that you told me shove my sword up my ... derrière. Very brave."  
Amaya grinned about Janai's choice of words.  
"That's what I am," Kazi translated, "very brave and very ... sassy."  
The heat in Janai's cheeks worsened.  
"Uhm - okay," she stuttered. "I, uhm -"  
"Should I leave?" Kazi asked but Janai held them back.  
"No, don't. How else should I talk to her?"  
"I could try to teach you how to use her sign language," Kazi said and Janai nodded slowly.  
"That ... sounds good, actually."

Amaya had no idea what the elves were talking about. They seemed very deep in a conversation, she couldn't read their lips though. Her sight was still a little blurred and they would have to come closer if they wanted her to understand them.  
Her heartrace fastened as she squinted her eyes and realised that they were using sign language. Her language, the younger elf was showing it to her elf, Janai.  
Her elf was learning her language to be able to talk to her.  
Amaya couldn't believe it and what was even worse was the warmth that spread in her chest. No ...  
She tried to make out what they were signing but it was impossible. They were too far away and it wasn't so easy to understand elves singing - with their only eight fingers each.  
After a while Amaya caught herself watching the tall, dark elf. She fascinated her somehow. Even now she was clad in her golden armour, wearing the golden headpiece. She wondered how she'd look without that armour ...  
Amaya was sure that she was muscular, from what she could see under the armour sleeves, she was.  
Suddenly she felt the urge to talk to her. Her alone. She didn't know why, she just had the feeling that she needed to. So she stood up and went to the elves, who quit signing. Amaya carefully touched Janai's upper arm - yes, she was very muscular - and Janai turned around.  
_What? _her lips formed.  
_Are you going to take me back to the fire __prison__? _Amaya signed. While the other elf was translating, Janai only watched her though.  
For the first time Amaya noticed how beautiful her eyes were. In a creepy way, since they were orange. Creepy, but beautiful.  
Janai's lips moved and Amaya looked down to look at those full lips.  
_Yes, we will take you back after __your__ eyesight has returned._  
_And what will __you__ do __with__ me afterwards? _Amaya signed and Janai's eyes travelled down to Amaya's lips. What the ...?  
_I_ _don't__ know yet, _she said. _My sister allowed me to spare you but she also wants me to take care of you now. She told me to enjoy my ... pet._  
_Your pet, eh? _Amaya had to grin. _So will you feed me, play with me, caress me and bathe me?_  
Janai's eyes went wide and Amaya cheered internally as she caught the heavy blush on the elf's cheeks.  
_I - __I_ _don't__ think she meant __it__ like __that__. I think she __meant__ -_  
_That you should chain me up a wall, blindfold me and whip __the_ _shit__ out of me?_  
Janai's eyes went wider and wider after Kazi had translated what Amaya had signed. Her mouth opened in shock, forming a perfect O.  
Amaya grinned at her.  
_What? No! _  
Amaya could tell that she was shouting.  
_I was __joking__, _she signed, still grinning. That elf was just too ...  
Cute.

Janai's face was burning. Not because she was going into her heat-being mode but because the blood rushing into her head. She was thankful for her dark skin, a blush on her cheeks wouldn't be caught easily. But she felt it and it made her wonder.  
"I'm done," she said and turned to Kazi. "Please start your interrogation. Ask her about her their plans at the Breach ... why they wanted to destroy the border and everything. I need to go."  
Kazi nodded, not able to look at the queen's sister.  
Did they suspect something?  
Janai didn't want to waste any more look at the General and walked out.  
"She wants to know where you're going," Kazi shouted after her. "And she looks ... disappointed."  
Janai didn't stop. "Tell her I have to fulfil my duties," she said over her shoulder and left her bedroom.  
She walked straight into the throne room and right up to her sister.  
"Ah," Khessa said as she spotted her younger sibling kneeling down in front of her. "How is your pet behaving?"  
Janai clenched her fists and said calmly, "She's not my pet nor is she worthless. She's an honourable warrior, she's smart and funny -"  
"Oh, dear sister," Khessa interrupted Janai with a shaking head. "Do I sense sympathy for this human?"  
"Sympathy and acceptance, yes," Janai replied and looked up to the queen of Lux Aurea. "I have grown to like her."  
Khessa sighed. "Kazi is doing the interrogation, I believe? Soon you'll see that she only has bad things in mind, just like every human."  
"She is deaf!" Janai shouted. "She is deaf and can't talk and now couldn't see for a whole day, thanks to you. And guess what, she didn't do anything you said she would do! She let me feed her, even though she couldn't see me ... she trusts me. And ... I trust her."  
"Are you out of your mind?" Khessa called. "It's a human."  
"_She _is a human, yes," Janai said with a shaking voice. Heat was welling up beneath her skin. "And she saved me at the Breach as I almost died. She could have killed me and she chose to save me. I owe her my life." The knight placed her fist over her heart. "And I wish you would appreciate that."  
"I appreciate the fact that she saved you from a horrible death," Khessa replied, "yet she's a human and humans are all the same. Betrayer, killer. I won't allow you to make friends with her."  
Without a word Janai stood up and walked out of the throne room again. Her sister hated Amaya, so there was no possible way of telling her that she would indeed try to make friends with her.

_When __will__ she be back? _Amaya signed. Ever since Janai had left, the general felt a strange emptiness inside of her.  
_She'll__ be __back__ soon, _the younger elf replied with their few fingers. _She has duties to __fulfil__._  
_Oh, _signed Amaya. _What kind of duties? She __isn't__ married, is __she__?_  
Kazi couldn't hide a smile. _No, Miss. She __isn't__ married nor in a partnership. __And__ since she might ask you the same thing soon ... __are_ _you__?_  
Amaya's chest warmed up again. _I'm__ not, _she told the elf._ I ... __I've__ had some complicated relationships in my past and __I__ decided not to dwell on them any __longer__._  
_Dwell on what, Miss? _Kazi asked.  
Amaya grinned. _Men, _she signed. _I've__ had enough of them. __They're__ immature and __can't__ deal with me. I need someone who knows how to deal __with__ me._  
Her eyes went around the Golden Knight's golden room, imagining to wake up here every day. In the arms of the strong, beautiful elf.  
She looked back at Kazi. _So __you've__ left immature men __behind__ ... or men in general?_  
_Men __in__ general, _Amaya signed with a grin.

Kazi and Amaya seemed to be having a deep conversation when Janai came back. As soon as she entered the room, a broad smile spread on the general's face.  
"Sorry," Janai said as she entered. "Don't let me disturb you. What were you talking about?"  
"We? Eh, ehm, we were talking about ..." Kazi stuttered and adjusted their glasses before looking at Amaya, who was signing something to her.  
"Tell her?" Kazi whispered and Amaya nodded.  
"Tell me what?" Janai asked calmly. "What?"  
"We were talking about ... Amaya's relationship."  
"Amaya -," Janai started, trying to suppress that strange feeling that bubbled up in her chest. Jealousy.  
"She was talking about her former relationship," Kazi continued. "Sorry, we'll go on with the interrogation immediately."  
"No, wait," Janai said and turned away from Amaya. She shouldn't read her lips. "Is she ... is she in a relationship now?"  
Kazi smiled. "No." Now she turned away from the human as well. "And I think she's interested in women too."  
Janai's heart was beating fast. "You noticed."  
"Yes. I'm - I'm so sorry," the young elf said. "I won't tell anyone."  
Janai nodded. "It won't happen anyway. She's a human. It wouldn't ... work out." She sighed and finally turned back to the General, who was crossing her arms and looking at the elves with a displeased look. "Sorry," Janai said gently and got closer to her, very close.  
Their chests now almost touched and Janai knew that, if she'd take a step forward, Amaya would feel her heartbeat. "I'm very sorry but I need to get you back to the fire ring. But don't worry ... I'll visit you a lot. I promise."  
Amaya smiled at her and nodded. Then she took her hand and locked their eyes.  
Orange met brown and for a while it was only them.  
Yes. There was a spark between them.


	3. Chapter 3

The Golden Knight of Lux Aurea had just returned from another mission. Once again there had been humans who had tried to clear the path at the breach, so Janai had to chase them off again. She could swear that some of the soldiers had shouted "For General Amaya!" before they attacked but Janai didn't really care at the moment.  
Maybe she had just thought she had heard her name because she missed her.  
And yes, how she had missed her. She was on her way to the prison, Amaya should be the first person for her to see at the moment. Not her friends, not her sister.  
Her prisoner.  
A human.  
But the only person she longed to see right now, a human she had missed on her two days mission.  
Janai had no idea what was wrong with her.

Amaya's lips curled into a gentle smile as Janai walked through the fire like always. What an ability. Amaya wasn't sure if Janai did that to impress her (if she did then she had definitely succeeded) or because she simply wanted to. Amaya waved gently and her heart jumped as a the elf smiled back.  
_Hi, _she said and sat down. _How are you?_  
Amaya raised her thumbs in order to tell the elf that she was okay.  
_Kazi is __occupied__ so I thought we could do some sign language together? _Janai asked and sat down opposite of Amaya, pulling out a piece of parchment and a pen as Amaya nodded. _Perfect. See, __I__ want to learn __it__. __Don't__ ask me why, __I__ just think __it's__ ... __interesting__._  
Amaya grinned. Oh, she knew why Janai wanted to learn it. She wanted to talk to her alone.  
Janai looked at the grinning General and swallowed. _Well, __I__ ... __I thought we could do the alphabet first, so __I'll__ be able to at least sign letters. __Let's__ start __with__ A and __you'll__ show __it__ to me and __I'll__ draw it __down__. __Okay__?_ She felt unsure. If Amaya had seen through her facade? Janai had never been good at hiding her purposes if it wasn't for a fight.  
Amaya nodded again. She lifted her arms, waited for Janai to tell her that she was ready and then showed her the sign for A.  
Janai drew it down and then tried it. _Good?_  
Amaya raised her thumbs again.

Janai spent hours with the General.  
After they had finished the alphabet, they had started to sign some words and later even phrases. It wasn't as easy to Janai as it would be for a human, due to the lack of some fingers, but it was doable.  
After a while Janai could even fluently sign, "Hello, my name is Janai and I'm a sunfire elf" and - of course - some swear words.  
Amaya signed something to her after she had learned this sentence, of which Janai only understood one word, though.  
'Good.'  
"Was that good?" she guessed and Amaya nodded.  
"Okay ... thanks," Janai said and did the sign for thank you, which looked a little like she would throw a kiss to Amaya.  
The General smiled and signed something new. She was pointing at Janai and then she was touching her chin with two fingers.  
"What did you say?" Janai asked curiously and Amaya reached for the parchment and the pen.  
With big letters she wrote:  
_You're__ cute._  
Janai felt her face heat up again.  
"Uhm -," she made and Amaya winked at her.  
What the -?  
"I am ... what?"  
Amaya repeated the sign and Janai stared at her.  
_Cute!?_  
She felt the heat rising up into her ears and suddenly she was feeling dizzy. And as Amaya came closer and touched her arm for a moment, Janai thought she was going to faint.  
_Are you __okay__? _the General signed. Janai understood that and nodded.  
"I am," she replied. "I'm just ... you're so ... so nice. Not anything like what I've heard about humans. You're kind hearted and selfless, really."  
_So are __you__, _Amaya returned the compliment and reached down to take the elf's hand.  
Janai told herself that she couldn't like a human. A human woman, even. But that smile, that cute smile ... it made her knees go weak.  
And her touch, her hand in hers, her four fingers between her five ...  
Janai was glad that she was sitting, she was sure she would have fainted for real if she had been standing.

Amaya could see what she was doing to Janai. The elf seemed both flustered and flattered about the compliment and this frightened her. She was looking anywhere but at Amaya, trying to hide her darkened cheeks, which wasn't a lot of work anyway, since her cheeks were already dark. But the General noticed.  
She caught herself admiring the chocolate coloured skin of the other woman, remembering how she had jokingly teased Sarai for marrying a coloured man ... after her first husband hadn't been anything but that.  
Of course she had always liked Harrow a lot. Sometimes she had felt some jealousy even, because Harrow seemed to be a really good man. Amaya had never had the luck of finding a good man so far (besides Gren, whom she didn't love romantically though). So she had felt happy for Sarai, at the same time though she had been jealous. Just a little and not because of Harrow in particular. After all she had always been the little sister, the deaf sister, who had had to fight for what she had wanted.  
Luckily this had made a strong woman out of her - a woman who was now sitting in a ring of fire, looking at the elf opposite of her with admiration.  
_Janai._  
She wanted to know how the name was spoken.  
Of course she had tried to speak every now and then. She knew that everyone referred to her as deaf-mute but fact was, she was only deaf. She could speak, she simply had never learnt it because of her disability of hearing. But she could scream - according to some people really loudly even - and also talk. She just chose not to, though Gren had tried to teach her. He had taught her how to say the letters from A to Z, telling her if she was right or wrong when she had tried afterwards, since she couldn't hear herself saying them. Then they had tried to make her say the letters if they were connected. Thus she could say a few words after lots of training. Swear words, especially. Amaya had kindly asked Gren to teach some bad words to her and since Gren was the man he was, he couldn't have said no to his General. Now she knew a bunch of swear words, because swear words were important, and one other maybe even more important word:  
_Fire._  
How fitting.  
Of course she knew how to scream it to tell the knights when to attack but now she thought that it had to be fate. Maybe she had to end up here. Maybe destiny had decided to put her here, it to meet this tall, strong, beautiful and mesmerising sunfire elf.  
Amaya's thoughts were quickly interrupted as Kazi entered, with a smile directed to her. Then they looked at Janai, telling her, _The sentinel wants to see __you__._  
_Can it wait?_ Janai asked and Amaya could see the displeased look on her face.  
_I'm afraid __not__, _Kazi replied, _They said __it's_ _urgent__._  
_Oh, okay, _Janai mumbled and looked at Amaya. She did the sign for "I'm sorry" and then said, _I'll be __back__ as soon as __I__ can._  
Then she left thought the fire, leaving Kazi and Amaya back.

Janai walked up to her sister, the queen of Lux Aurea, while trying to calm herself down. _Everything__ will be fine, _she told herself but she knew that she was wrong. Another human in Lux Aurea! And of course Khessa would blame her for it. Of course she would connect the visit of this man, the king of Katolis, to Janai's prisoner, who was as well from Katolis. What an unlucky coincidence. Or was it an coincidence? Janai didn't dare to think of her prisoner as a traitor, who had only waited for her king to arrive and attack and would now turn hostile towards the elves who had ... yes, the elves who had thrown her into a fire ring, made her blind for a day and kept questioning her about the human's aims.  
She quickly dismissed the thought again, knowing that Amaya wouldn't betray them, no matter what they had done to her. She had a pure heart after all.  
As Janai had reached her sister's throne, she took a bow with crossed hands. "Your radiance," she said, "another human has come to Lux Aurea. He requests an audience."  
The look on her sisters face was unmistakably sneering and at first she really blamed Janai, but in the end Khessa gave in.  
Little did Janai know that this would be both the beginning of something bad and something ... wonderful.

_Thank you __for_ _cooperating__, _Kazi signed and smiled at the woman on the ground. She had grown to like this human and she believed that Amaya thought the same. _I __believe__ this interrogation is __going__ very well. __You're__ not dead._  
Amaya first scoffed but then she nodded. Yes, she wasn't dead, thanks to Janai.  
Amaya couldn't deny the little jump of her heart as no one else than her elf, the one whom she just had thought of, went through the fire.  
_Bad news, my human friend, _she said and Amaya's heartbeat increased even more. Friend ... _Your king came seeking passage, _she went on.  
Amaya stared at her for a while. Her ... king? Which king? Harrow was dead and Ezran was gone. _What? _she signed. _That's__ impossible!_  
_The light revealed __his__ true nature, _Janai informed the General. _Tainted with darkness, rotten __to__ the core ... such an __arrogant__ man._  
Amaya furrowed her eybrows. No ... that couldn't be. Quickly she stood up. _That man is no king, _she signed. Her hands were shaking as she did, she couldn't believe that Viren had the fucking _nerve_ to show up here. _He may be the __most__ dangerous human in the world!_  
_No matter, _Janai went on, obviously not suppressed. _The queen __sentenced__ him __to__ be __purified__. After the ritual __I__ doubt __there'll__ be anything left of him._  
She turned around but Amaya grabbed her arm.

Janai whirled around, pushed Amaya's hand away and stared at the human who had just so bluntly grabbed her arm. Her eyes ... they were full of panic. She looked scared and signed quickly, quicker than ever before.  
"You don't understand!" Kazi translated and also their voice sounded scared. "If he's here, everyone's in danger. We have to stop him!"  
Janai looked at Amaya. What if she was right? She looked both scared and serious, Janai didn't doubt it. But the ritual was usually a good way to purify people, so why would it be different with her?  
The General's eyes were begging her silently. _Please, _they said. _Believe__ me._  
And Janai believed her. She bent her head down to Amaya, looking deeply into her eyes.  
"Will you do everything necessary to stop that false king?"  
Amaya nodded shortly, her eyes squinted.  
"And will you stay on our side, no matter what? Do you promise me not to turn against us?"  
Amaya's lips parted in protest and left out a little gasp. Then she started signing.  
"Of course!" Kazi said. "Why would you think anything else of me? Janai, please, we're friends. You've said it before. I trust you and you should finally trust me too."  
Janai looked at her. Into her beautiful, brown eyes. Why did she feel so lost in them?  
"I trust you," she said quietly. "But I can't be your ... we aren't friends, General Amaya." She signed _I'm sorry._  
An expression of hurt washed over Amaya's face but it was only for such a short time, Janai wasn't sure if she hadn't just imagined it. Then Amaya nodded, her lips pressed together.  
"Come," Janai said and went to the fire, "let's get you into your gear."


	4. Chapter 4

Like in slow motion she saw her fall.  
Dissolving slowly.  
Her heart stood still, her blood froze.  
Then she let out a bloodcurdling scream.  
"_Nooooooooo!_"  
Her sister was gone. Gone, forever and irrevocably. The only person who had been left of her family. After a few seconds of utter shock she felt her blood pulsating hot through her veins, her skin started to glow and her eyes darkened. She concentrated all her hate on this human and his ghost companion, forgetting everything else in this world. She started running, knowing she needed to kill him. She didn't know if she'd survive but she didn't care, with her sister gone, there was nothing left for her to live.  
But only seconds after she had started running towards the platform, someone threw himself on her.  
_Herself__, _Janai noticed as she turned her head and saw Amaya. No! Amaya shouldn't get involved. She tried to get away but the General was strong, she grabbed her arms, secured her right arm behind her back and pinned her left arm to the ground for only a second. There was a crackling noise as Janai's skin burnt Amaya's hand but the General didn't care. After letting go, she quickly grabbed her hand again. Janai turned her head once more and their eyes met.  
Amaya's eyes were filled with pain and sympathy and she was shaking her head lightly.  
_No, _her facial expression said, _Don't_ _do__ it._  
Slowly the glow on Janai's skin vanished. Amaya was still looking at her, pity filling her brown eyes.  
The elf let out a howl, trying to get away for a last time. But it was too late anyway. Her sister was dead and she was alone.

Amaya was at the queen's palace now. Janai's palace.  
After she had held her back, Amaya had managed to pull her away from the happenings. It was senseless anyway, they'd need an army to fight against Viren. He was too powerful - and he did have an army with him.  
After Amaya had reached Kazi, they helped her to pull Janai back to the palace. And ever since then Amaya hadn't left her side. She had needed Janai as she had lost her eyesight and now the elf needed her.  
Now, after the anger and rage had subsided, Janai wasn't saying anything.  
She was only staring into the air, much to everyone's surprise she wasn't even crying.  
Only Amaya knew all to well how it was to lose a sister, how it felt to have a part of yourself ripped away from you.  
That's why she stayed with the sunfire elf, hoping to make her loss at least a little more bearable.  
They were in Janai's room, with the new queen laying on her bed.  
Amaya sat next to her. They didn't communicate and Janai was thankful for that. She knew she needed to cope with the pain - soon. They'd travel to the Storm Spire the next day and Janai needed to gather all her strength.  
As the night fell, Amaya offered Janai to prepare her for bed, like a maid.  
The elf looked at her and finally spoke.  
_Why are you doing __this__?_  
Amaya reached for the parchment that was prepared on the nightstand next to the bed and wrote, "You're my friend."  
Janai looked at her for a long time. Then her lips parted and she said, _After __everything_ _I've__ done to you? You __consider__ me a __friend__?_  
Amaya nodded and Janai smiled lightly. Painfully forced.  
_Now __the_ _real_ _reason__, _she said and Amaya sighed. This woman was smart.  
She placed the pen on the parchment and wrote,  
"My sister died too."  
Janai's face changed, sadness turned into pity. Then she signed, _I'm__ sorry._  
"It was years ago, many years ago. But I still haven't come over it yet," Amaya wrote. "I will never. The worst thing was, that I was with her when she died. I didn't see it but I was with her, together with her husband, my late brother-in-law, King Harrow of Katolis. She was my everything. The only family member that remained." Amaya looked at Janai for a moment before she continued. "My parents are dead too. My sister and I have been alone and suddenly I was without her. I lost my sister, my best friend and my voice."  
_I'm__ so sorry, _Janai signed again. For a second Amaya swore she could see tears glistening in the the eyes of the elf but as she looked closer, she had blinked them away already.  
"That's why I know how you feel," Amaya went on writing. "And I wish I could tell you that it's getting better."

Janai's heart was clenching as the General told her everything.  
"It's okay," she whispered. "I will somehow manage to survive it."  
Amaya smiled as she wrote. "I don't doubt it. You're the strongest person I've ever met."  
Something changed in Janai's body. She felt warm and not in a usual way. It was a nice way of warmth, a way of ... acceptance. And friendship. Or maybe something else?  
"So are you," she said and lowered her eyes on the face of the younger General. In the dim candle light she could only see half of her face, the one half that her scar was on.  
Janai lifted her hand, brought it up to Amaya's face and touched the scar, her heart jumping as Amaya closed her eyes.  
When she opened them again, Janai asked, "Where did you get it?"  
"The very same day I lost my sister," Amaya wrote and Janai pulled her hand back.  
"I'm sorry."  
Amaya didn't answer. Of course, since her eyes had been on the parchment, not on Janai's lips for a change.  
The sunfire elf bit her lower lip, placed her hand under Amaya's chin and turned her head softly to make her look at her.  
"I'm sorry," she repeated gently and Amaya shrugged, looking back at the parchment.  
"I don't really like it," she wrote down. "The scar. First, it reminds me of that horrible day and then -"  
She stopped writing and looked at Janai. Then she signed slowly and letter for letter, to give Janai the time to understand:  
_It makes me unattractive._  
Janai needed a while to understand the last word, as it was very long, but after realising what she meant, she was purely shocked.  
"What? Unattractive? Are you serious, I mean, do you have issues with your looks?"  
Amaya let out a small laugh. Janai could feel her heart jump at the laugh that had an actual sound. She returned to her paper and wrote:  
"No. I don't. I think I'm good looking but the scar makes my face a little less nice to look at."  
"I disagree," Janai said as the human turned her head back to her. "It doesn't make your face less beautiful, if not even more beautiful! It's definitely more interesting to look at and it makes you look very keen."  
A blush crept over Amaya's face and Janai couldn't hide her smile. "I think you're beautiful," she mouthed. Loudlessly, because she didn't really want Amaya to read her lips for what she had said.  
But Amaya had understood and took her hand, looking at her four fingers for a while.  
Then she looked back up to the elf and smiled.  
_So are you, _she signed, her eyes shining.

"Tomorrow we are going to kill the beast that killed my sister, queen Khessa!" Janai's voice was determined and strong. "I don't want to get crowned yet, first I need to take revenge for my sister's death -" Her voice cracked but the cheering of the sunfire army made her confident. "We are going to the Storm Spire, as the beast's goal is to kill the dragon queen. Join me or stay here but remember, we will be fighting for the dragon queen, for ourselves, for Xadia, for Lux Aurea and for queen Khessa!"  
More cheering. Janai felt proud and turned around to see Amaya smiling at her.  
_They love you, _the General signed and Janai smiled back.  
"They respect me," she said and turned back to the army. "Everything would have gone differently without my prisoner, General Amaya," she told the crowd, "so she's going with me. She knows the beast who calls himself Lord Viren and she's a good fighter. She and I are going to the top of the Storm Spire, telling the Dragon Guards what danger awaits us. We are going to stay there for a night so you better bring your tents and bed rolls."

Amaya watched her talking. Though she did not see what Janai said, she knew what it was. They had come up with a plan the other night, before they had started cuddling. Yes, they had cuddled.  
Amaya couldn't exactly remember how it had happened but she knew that, after all the complimenting and making plans and writing about her sister, they had found themselves exhausted and tired. Janai had offered Amaya to stay and the General hadn't hesitated. She had slipped under the blanket and looked at Janai, who had stared back wordlessly. But then she had crawled closer and placed her arm around Amaya.  
_Please__ hold me, _she had sighed and Amaya had returned the hug. They had fallen asleep fast and woken up entwined with each other. It had been really weird at first but they had decided that everything was okay between them.  
If everything was okay, then why did Amaya's heart jump as Janai turned around and smiled at her again?  
_They're__ ready, _she said. _You and __I__ are going to fly._  
_Fly? _Amaya signed while Kazi next to her translated. _On a dragon?_  
_Oh no, on a twin tailed inferno-tooth tiger, _said Janai with a cocky smile and Amaya shook her head.  
_What__ the __hell__ is __that__?_  
_You'll__ see, _Janai answered and looked at the young translator.  
_You're_ _staying__ here, _she ordered. _It'd be too dangerous for you._  
Amaya's eyes were resting on the elf while she instructed Kazi what to do.  
_Go__, spread the word. Tell everyone __you_ _know__, maybe there are more elves in __Lux__ Aurea who want to join us._  
Amaya didn't know what to think of this. Her heart was racing and her cheeks felt hot. Janai was so, so beautiful. And after last night she thought so even more. The way she had looked at her in the morning crossed her mind, first confused, then happy.  
_Good morning, _she had said and stretched herself, while Amaya's eyes had travelled down the elf's body. She had worn a dress, a nightgown, which had looked very untypical. _Slept well?_  
Amaya had just nodded, not really daring to tell her that she had slept amazingly well next to her.  
_As did I, _Janai had said and crawled closer like the evening before. She had placed her hand nowhere else than on Amaya's hip and had looked at her. _Are you ready __to__ face him?_  
For a minute she had forgotten whom they had to face. She had been so lost in Janai's beautiful eyes.  
Now she was even more confused about her feelings towards the elf, what was friendship before had developed into more.  
And her excitement grew as Amaya saw the animal that Janai had told about, the inferno tiger, because it was not really big. It'd only be able to carry them two and that meant that they had to hold each other.  
_I'll__ get up first and then help you get on it too, _the Golden Knight explained and jumped on the back of the winged tiger so swiftly, Amaya had to swallow. The tiger was taller than a horse. Janai reached her hand out. _I'll__ help you, _she said as Amaya took it. _Come on, jump._  
Amaya jumped and gasped as Janai pulled her up, surprised by the woman's strength once again.  
The General settled herself behind Janai and carefully put her hands on the elf's waist.  
Janai turned her head and grinned. _The flight is going to be __fast__ and wild. You might cling __yourself__ tighter to me._  
Amaya stayed stubborn but as Janai kicked the sides of the animal and it spread its wings and started running, Amaya knew what she meant. She screamed as the tiger pushed itself off the ground to fly and she finally wrapped her arms around Janai's upper body tightly.  
Then they flew. Amaya looked at Janai's braids only, she was too scared to look down. The air was cold up there and she leaned her forehead against the elf's back. It felt oddly calming and good to be so close to a woman she had hated only a few days ago.


	5. Chapter 5

"We should take a short rest," Janai said to Amaya after landing on the ground of the meadow. "Tigris isn't used to carry two people at once and she needs water and rest. And so do you."  
The human had to grin. _Tigris__?_ she mouthed.  
"That's her name," Janai answered and patted the animal's back. "Khessa and I named her when we were both children. We weren't quite creative back then."  
Amaya eyed the beast that had just carried them through Xadian sky.  
"She's older than she looks," Janai laughed, understanding Amaya's confusion. "Our age system works a bit differently than yours."  
Amaya looked at Janai again.  
"I'm really 36, though," she quickly added. "And also I'm not invincible. But I could get over 200 years for sure."  
Amaya just looked at her, her eyes gentle and somehow ... sad?  
"Okay," Janai mumbled, trying to avoid her look. "Let's sit down for a while. Flying is exhausting, all the wind that crashes into your face and the long hours of sitting ... do you feel your arse alread?"  
Now Amaya grinned again, nodded and pointed at her back.  
"Oh yeah, the back's also really sensitive. Ask Tigris what two women riding on her does to her back."  
Amaya looked at the two tailed animal again. She looked very calm as she was grazing.  
She tried to sign something but Janai didn't understand, so Amaya tried a bit slower.  
Still the knight didn't understand what she meant but instead she suddenly noticed the hole in the General's glove.  
"What's that?" she asked immediately and took Amaya's hand into hers. Her eyes travelled over the broken glove and up to Amaya, who smiled at her.  
"Did I do that?" Janai whispered and Amaya nodded gently.  
_It's_ _okay__, _she signed. Janai understood that.  
"No, it's not okay, I burnt you! May I see?"  
Amaya pulled the glove off of her hand and Janai took it into her palms gently to have a look at it.  
"This doesn't look good. Why didn't you tell me that I hurt you?"  
Janai remembered how Amaya had pulled her hand away for a second as she had touched her hot skin, only to grab it again. Janai felt stupid all of a sudden, she could have known that she had hurt her. Then again she felt honoured, Amaya hadn't let go of her, even though she had burnt a hole into her glove and skin. Her heart started racing as a thought crossed her mind.  
_She __touched__ me __even_ _though__ there was a risk of getting hurt ..._  
The realisation hit her so hard, she forgot to breathe for a moment.  
"Amaya," she said quietly, "why did you do that, why did you hold my wrist instead of my shoulder or anything that was covered by my armour? Did you do it only because you wanted to hold me back from getting myself killed?"  
The human weighed her head and then shook it lightly.  
"Then why," Janai continued, "why did you touch my skin even though it hurt you?"  
Now the human smiled at her with a smile so gentle, Janai felt her knees go weak again.  
Damn it.

Amaya looked at her hand, the burnt tissue of her skin, then she covered her elf's palm with it. If she could only tell her how little she cared about her hand. It still hurt a little but everything that happened around her distracted her. And right now it was this beautiful elf holding her hand.  
Looking at her with big eyes filled with care.  
Her sensual lips moved.  
_Do you want me to cool __your__ hand?_  
She could cool something too? Amaya was surprised, usually the sunfire elf was a specialist with heating things, her own face included. Right now she felt blood shoot into her cheeks but she nodded.  
Janai smiled lightly and took her other hand, the healthy one.  
_Come__, _she said, _There's__ a river __nearby__._  
Amaya let the elf pull her towards said river, which they reached only minutes later. Tigris had walked after them and was now sinking her snout into the water to drink.  
The sight was amazing.  
The water was brilliant blue and glittering in the sunlight, big, white flowers grew around it and the meadow itself looked like it would never end. Nothing in Katolis looked like this. Amaya sunk on her knees and with her burnt hand she reached into the water. Letting out a relieved sigh, she closed her eyes. The water was cool indeed and it felt like her hand had needed this.  
When she opened her eyes again, she caught Janai looking at her. Amaya smiled and pointed at the white flowers.  
_Beautiful, _she signed with her free hand, hoping Janai would understand the sign.  
The soon to be Queen knelt down next to her, picking one of the flowers, a smaller one.  
_They're__ Xadian water lilies, _she explained. _They taste really good, do you want to try?_  
Amaya laughed and shook her head. With her free hand she pointed at her hair.  
_What - do you want me to put it into your hair? _Janai's eyes widened as Amaya nodded with a mischievous smile. _Okay ..._

She came closer, stroking Amaya's hair behind her ear. The General closed her eyes again, parted her lips and let out a smal sigh. Janai's heartrace increased once more. This was ridiculous!  
"Damn, you're beautiful," she mumbled, glad that Amaya couldn't hear her. With shaking hands she placed the flower behind the human's ear and put her hand on her cheek gently.  
Thus, Amaya opened her eyes.  
"Looks nice," Janai said and quickly pulled her hand away.  
Amaya's smile faded and she signed the sign from before again. It looked like she was trying to grab her face but her questioning look made Janai think that she ws asking something.  
"What?" she asked. "Don't you think you look nice?"  
Amaya weighed her head again, like she did if she wasn't satisfied.  
"We should have taken the parchment with us," Janai sighed. "What do you want me to say?"  
Amaya repeated the sign and then pointed at the flower.  
"What? Flower?" Janai asked and Amaya shook her head.  
"It smells good?" Janai guessed.  
Amaya shook her head.  
"It's white?"  
She shook her head.  
"It's beautiful?"  
Finally Amaya nodded and then pointed at herself, blushing.  
And Janai understood.  
"You ... you're asking if I think you're beautiful?" she asked quietly and Amaya turned her head away.  
With a jolt of her heart the elf touched the human's chin, turning her face back to her.  
The General's face was darker than usual and her brown eyes avoided the elf's orange ones.  
"Amaya," Janai whispered, her heart now racing faster than ever. Then she said gently, "Why would you think anything else? I have noticed your beauty quite immediately, back at the Breach already. We fought against each other and I just thought, damn, who is this gorgeous lady? And then the fact you didn't say a word on our way to Lux Aurea ... I thought you were only offended because we've caught you. But I'm sure you noticed that I couldn't stop looking at you? That wasn't because I imprisoned you. I couldn't stop looking because you fascinated me. So yes, I think you're beautiful. Very. Also without a flower in your hair. I lo-" Janai bit her lip and quickly caught herself. "I like your eyes. They're stunning. And your smile is breathtaking. I have rarely met anyone more beautiful than you. No - I have never." Now it was Janai's turn to blush. Especially as she caught Amaya's look, her eyes were wide and fixed on her lips. Her lips were apart and her lower lip was trembling.  
She pulled her hand out of the water and placed them on Janai's shoulders.  
Then her eyes travelled up to Janai's and as they met, Janai felt the world stand still.  
All of a sudden there was no sorrow. There was no war. There was no difference between them, it didn't matter that they were a human and an elf.  
There was only them, sitting by a river on a green meadow. A light blast of the wind made Amaya's hair move and Janai felt her heart clench because of so much beauty that was in front of her. It hurt her, knowing that there was a human like Amaya out there whom she would soon probably never see again.  
After the war, they'd be strangers again. Maybe even enemies. Or maybe she'd be dead.  
Amaya was still holding her shoulders, so Janai placed her hands on the General's waist.  
Amaya smiled.  
And then she moved closer, just a bit.  
Her hands travelled up to the elf's hot cheeks, cupping them and carefully pulling her face closer.  
"Amaya," Janai whispered. Her insides were panicking, her heart was racing. "What are you up to?"  
Amaya ignored her. With an impish smile she closed the gap between their faces and placed a feathery kiss on Janai's lips.  
The elf didn't even have the time to comprehend what had happened, so quickly had the General pulled away again. And only seconds after she had already stood up and walked away.  
Janai closed her eyes for a while, trying to remember how it had felt. Like a butterfly that had sat on her lips for only a second, for sure, but also ... wonderful.  
It had felt _right._  
Janai jumped up. "Amaya, wait!" she called, knowing well that she couldn't hear her.  
She ran after her, reaching her after a few steps. She grabbed the shoulders of the human General and pulled her back and down to the ground.  
Amaya yelped as her back hit the meadow but as she saw Janai hover over her, her smile returned to her face. She grinned at the elf, mischievously and challenging.  
_Kiss me, _her eyes said and Janai did.  
She covered her prisoner's body with hers, pulled the flower out of Amaya's hair, buried her hands in Amaya's dark hair and finally, _finally _crashed her lips on the other's.

Amaya moaned quietly. How often during the last week had she looked at those full lips, fantasizing about them to kiss her? Truth was, way too often. And now it was happening.  
There was an elf on her, a female sunfire elf, and she was kissing her her with all her passion and with so much lust, Amaya felt her genitals pulsating with need.  
Shit, why were they fully clad in armour right now? Didn't they have to travel to the Storm Spire?  
With a gasp Amaya pushed the elf away, looking at her with warm eyes.  
Janai stared back in confusion, her eyes never leaving Amaya's.  
_We ... we need to go on, _she said, just as if she could read minds. _My people should be __almost__ there __already__. __We__ shouldn't let __them__ keep waiting._  
Amaya nodded and Janai got up, holding her hand out to Amaya to help her stand up.

The rest of the flight Janai didn't know what to think nor feel. Her head was spinning and she tried to concentrate and think of the upcoming danger that was awaiting them, but Amaya's arms around her waist didn't let her.  
_We kissed! _she thought over and over again. _If it meant something to her? I need to ask her later.__ And what does it mean to me, even?_  
Talking to her had to wait though, because as they landed, someone was awaiting them already.  
Amaya jumped off of Tigris and ran towards two boys, hugging them tightly. Janai suspected them to be her nephews, she had told her about them once.  
Janai stepped behind her human and watched another elf approach, a young moonshadow elf. She stared at Amaya with hatred and Janai clenched her fists, ready to fight. But the older boy stepped in, quickly saying,  
"Right, uh - that stuff at the Banther Lodge was all a misunderstanding. I'll explain later but Rayla is our friend."  
He signed the last part to make Amaya understand right and then he spotted Janai.  
"Looks like you have an elf friend now, too," he stated with a light smile and Janai felt her cheeks heat up again.  
She felt the sudden urge to explain herself and protect their secret ... whatever it was. Call it a friendship.  
She looked at Amaya for a second, who smiled at her in await. Janai crossed her arms and said, "We're not friends, she is my prisoner."  
Carefully she turned her head to Amaya again, who was now signing something to her nephew.  
Janai didn't understand all of it but she understood one word.  
_Cute._  
Her heart skipped a beat. Cute? What in heaven's name had Amaya told her nephew - That she found her cute?  
Janai decided to ask her later and interrupted the embarrassing talk quickly.  
She crossed her arms in front of her face and took a bow, saying, "I am Janai, Golden Knight of Lux Aurea. I've brought my city's forces. What's left of them." It hurt her. Thinking of how many people Viren had slaughtered that day her sister had fallen. "They wait at the bottom of the Storm Spire, ready to fight the monster who destroyed our home."

Amaya was proud of her elf. She had buried her hate towards all humans only because of her and was now helping them to fight against Lord Viren. She had accepted their friendship - more or less - and she had built forces to fight on their side.  
Right now Amaya was laying in her bed inside the dragon's palace, trying to sleep.  
Sadly though, thoughts were keeping her awake. Especially Janai herself and their kiss.  
Amaya turned in her bed and closed her eyes again. _Sleep, please, _she thought, but Janai wouldn't leave her mind. Her soft lips on hers, her gentle look, her reddened cheeks. Not friends, huh?  
Suddenly a warm hand was placed on Amaya's shoulder and the General opened her eyes, seeing no one else than Janai kneel in front of her.  
_Can't__ sleep either? _she asked and Amaya shook her head. Janai smiled. _Let me slip in, _she said and Amaya's heart jumped.  
She lifted her blanket and Janai got into the bed, immediately wrapping her arm around Amaya's waist.  
_I need to __ask__ you something, _she said.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's note, this chapter contains slight adult actions.**

* * *

Janai knocked at the door of Amaya's room and waited for a whole minute, until she realised how stupid this move was. Amaya was deaf.  
Without caring if she would wake her up she entered the room (why be quiet if she couldn't hear anyway?) and walked up to the huge bed. For a while she stood there and looked at the human in awe. She seemed to be sleeping, her eyes were closed and she looked calm and peaceful.  
And so innocent. So small and vulnerable. Janai couldn't deny the feeling for her that spread in her heart right now.  
Of course this was only a façade, Amaya was anything else than vulnerable and - perish the thought! - innocent. Amaya and innocent! Janai had to snort.  
Then she knelt down and placed her hand on the General's shoulder.  
And the human opened her eyes immediately, starting to smile the second she saw Janai.  
_"_Can't sleep either?" Janai asked and Amaya shook her head, making Janai smile. "Let me slip in," she said with a beating heart and Amaya lifted her blanket to let Janai get into the bed. The elf didn't hesitate and wrapped her arm around Amaya's waist.  
"I need to ask you something," she said. "And it's not so easy for me. Are you ready?"  
Amaya's eyes widened a bit but she nodded.  
Janai caressed her human's waist.  
"It's about the kiss," she whispered, eyeing Amaya lips again. "Do you regret it?"  
Amaya smiled and shook her head. "No," she said quietly.  
Now Janai's eyes turned wide. "You - wait - what? Did you just - Amaya, did you just say something?"  
Amaya giggled and pointed at her ear, shaking her head. Then she pointed at her lips and nodded.  
"Oh, of course! You're deaf," Janai said, mentally slapping herself. "Not mute."  
Amaya nodded again.  
"I see," Janai breathed. "I just didn't suspect you to talk. Can you say more?"  
"Amaya," Amaya answered. Her voice was quiet and unsure. "Yes, no. Hello, see you. Fire."  
"Oh my -," Janai breathed and grabbed the General's hand. "I - I love your voice." Her cheeks burned. "It's so beautiful ... Just like you."  
Amaya freed her hand from Janai's grip and placed it on her upper arm. She crawled closer, still smiling.  
"I wanted to ask you something else," Janai suddenly said, remembering why she had even come here. The kiss and ... "It's about before, what you said to your nephew. You said ... you said I was cute?"  
Amaya giggled again and shook her head.  
"You didn't? So what did you tell him?"  
Amaya pointed at Janai.  
"I," Janai said and Amaya pointed at her temple. "Think," Janai guessed. Amaya smiled, nodded and pointed at herself, then repeating the sign for _cute._ "I think _you're_ cute!" Janai gasped and Amaya laughed. "You little vixen! You told your nephew that I think you're cute?"  
Amaya's eyes were sparkling.  
And Janai couldn't help it - she needed to kiss her again.  
Gentle first, then the kiss grew more longing as Janai travelled her tongue along Amaya's lips. Amaya parted them and let her enter, moaning as their tongues touched.  
The sensation lasted only for a second, as Amaya pulled away._ Again _Amaya broke their kiss_._  
Janai couldn't help but doubt if she even wanted it. Did she even like women in the same way? They hadn't talked about this topic yet and from Kazi she knew that Amaya had only ex-boyfriends.  
Amaya's eyes were soft though and she gently placed her index finger on the elf's lips. Her eyes flickered down to them and then up again. She locked their eyes and Janai wished she could read her mind. It would be so much easier!  
"What?" she whispered, her heart not ready to be calmed. "Don't you want this?"  
Amaya smiled again and nodded.  
"You do? Then why do you ..." Janai's voice faded at Amaya's look. The human's eyes were resting on her lips again and she swallowed. Without asking for permission she sunk her lips on the elf soft skin, the spot where her cheek was painted golden.  
Then she quickly pulled away completely and sat up in the bed. The blanket fell down, exposing her upper body. Moonlight shone on her slim figure and Janai moaned.  
Amaya wasn't wearing much, only a shirt.  
"Aren't you cold?" she asked and Amaya smiled her cocky smile again, nodding slowly. "You are?" Janai repeated and Amaya nodded again, rubbing her hands on her upper arms to sign that she was feeling cold.  
"Then come here," Janai mumbled and wrapped her arms around Amaya's thin waist. She pulled her close but this time she didn't hesitate to kiss her.  
Shyly she let her tongue run along the human's lower lip and sighed happily as Amaya parted her lips to let her tongue enter.  
Janai let her hands travel lower, to the hem of Amaya's shirt, first playing with it and then slowly inserting her hands beneath it. She still waited for a sign to stop but it never came. Only approving and especially _longing_ moans from Amaya.  
"That's something I've never imagined to do," Janai whispered after pulling her face back, far enough to make Amaya read her lips. "I've never ... you know. Kissed a human. Have you ever kissed an elf before?"  
Amaya shook her head and Janai sighed.  
"Of course you haven't. You've ... You've only fought against them so far ..."  
For a moment she felt like stopping this, pulling away, returning to her own room and never think about this again. What was she doing here?  
Amaya was a _human!_  
Yes. A human. And what kind of a human - sweet, humble, funny, beautiful, _cute _and oh so charming. She had a pure heart.  
And Janai ... Janai had fallen hard for her.  
The elf opened her mouth to tell Amaya what she was feeling, as Amaya suddenly jumped up, pulled her shirt down and looked at Janai. With a straight face she rose a finger. Then she turned around and left the room, leaving Janai back alone. Janai didn't worry about her not coming back though, her risen finger had meant that she had to wait for her to be back, so Janai laid down and stared at the ceiling.  
Amaya ... sweet, pure hearted Amaya.  
Should she even tell her what she felt? It could be that Amaya was only interested in a little fun. Maybe she really wasn't interested in women. Or worse - maybe she wouldn't want to get involved with an elf. This would kill Janai. She had only loved unavailable women so far, and all of them had been married to another _man._  
Had she managed to fall in love with an unavailable, not lesbian woman who wasn't even an elf this time?  
Janai sighed and cursed herself, as she thought about how glad she was for Khessa not having to see this.  
"What a disaster you are," Janai huffed, imitating her late sister's tone perfectly.

Amaya came back a few minutes later, waving a piece of parchment at her elvish friend.  
She sat down on the bed again, placed a quill on the parchment and started writing. As she was done, she showed it to Janai.  
"No, I have never kissed an elf before," the paper said, "But I have always wanted to do that before I would die."  
"You won't die," Janai answered and Amaya brought the parchment back to her lap to write:  
"I didn't say I would die soon. Definitely not now, only such a short time after I've found you."  
She looked up to Janai, her eyes filled with something that the elf couldn't name.  
She remained quiet, so Amaya brought her quill to the parchment again.  
"There's something else," she wrote and Janai waited, nodding approvingly. "I have always wanted to sleep with an elf."  
"Really?" Janai called out, first not realising what Amaya meant. "I thought you didn't like elves!"  
Amaya shrugged and wrote, "Maybe. Yet they've always fascinated me."  
"Wow," Janai said and watched Amaya putting the parchment away. "Thanks for telling me. I guess now I know that I've always wanted to sleep with a human, too."  
There the realisation hit her. They were _here. __Now__. _An elf and a human.  
Amaya had been talking about _them__, _just like Janai had meant them both as well.  
Janai's eyes went wide as her suspicion got confirmed. Amaya was coming closer, pushing her back on the pillows.  
"Amaya," Janai whispered. "Are you ... what are you doing? Don't you care that I'm a woman?"  
Amaya laughed her soundful, beautiful laugh and shook her head. Instead she hovered over the elf and caressed the golden paint on her face.  
"No," she said quietly. "You."  
Janai felt her heart melting. Amaya, Amaya ... oh, this voice. Janai knew what she meant with this little word, "you".  
_I want you._  
"I want you too," Janai breathed and closed her eyes as Amaya's lips touched the skin of her collarbone.

Slowly Amaya travelled her lips along those beautiful collarbones that stood out so seductively. While doing so, she grabbed the shirt of the elf, pulling it up until her thumbs were grazing the elf's breasts. With joy she realised that Janai wasn't wearing anything beneath it, just as if she had wanted this to happen.  
Not leaving her skin with her lips, Amaya moved them to her shoulder and to her jaw, kissing every inch of skin she reached along this beautiful neck. She let her hands wander upwards slowly, caress the sides of her breasts carefully. For a second she pulled away to check if Janai was fine, but her eyes were closed and her lips were apart. She looked very fine.  
Amaya bit her lip and slowly pulled the shirt upwards, over Janai's head and arms. As she had pulled it off, she had to take a moment to comprehend the sight in front of her.  
The moon was shining on the elf's naked upper body, leaving her skin in a funny mix of brown and blue. And golden.  
Amaya let her eyes run along the golden lines on the side of Janai's body. There was golden paint, as Amaya called it, starting from her collarbones, along the sides of her breasts, over her waist, leaving a trail over her belly until they vanished in her pants.  
_Where__ might they lead? _Amaya thought and got off of Janai, who sat up immediately, staring at her.  
_What are you doing? _she said. _Why __did__ you stop?_  
Amaya laughed again and placed her index finger on one of the golden stripes beneath her breast, slowly stroking it until she had reached her navel. She looked up again, silently asking for permission.  
Janai nodded, leant back again and closed her eyes, lifting her pelvis to help Amaya undressing her.  
The General's insides were jumping. She had never, _never _done this with a woman before. She didn't know how to start, where to start, if she was good. What if Janai didn't like what she was doing and couldn't tell her? What if everything turned out to be a huge mistake?  
Shaking those thoughts off, she grabbed the hem of Janai's pants and pulled them down, taking in the sight of her (Amaya couldn't help it) _wonderful_ hips. She let out a quiet moan, at least she hoped it would be a moan. Quickly she got rid of her shirt and top she wore beneath, then got out of her pants, letting herself be as naked as Janai. Only underpants. She hovered over the elf again, came down to press their upper bodies together and let their lips collide.

Janai wrapped her legs around the other woman, not intending of letting go of her. She had just found her, as Amaya had said, so why would she let her leave again? Their tongues danced, their fingers were entwined, their breasts were touching, their pelvises were moving in unison.  
Janai felt her abdomen heating up in a non heat-being mode again and knew:  
If Amaya wouldn't take her here and now, she'd burn down the Storm Spire Palace.

* * *

**So ... ****obviously**** the next chapter is going ****to**** have some more adult content. To be continued! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**As ****I**** promised ****here's** **the**** explicit stuff! ****Don't**** read if ****you're** **underage**** yada yada.**  
**Now enjoy!**

* * *

With heat in her eyes she watched her getting rid of the rest of her underwear.  
With a dry mouth she watched the human pull it down slowly, almost too slowly. Yet Janai didn't dare to move, she was scared to do something too rushed.  
But then the underwear had fallen and had left Amaya completely naked. Now she was over her, her knees left and right to Janai's thighs.  
With a strange look on her face, almost shy, Amaya looked at her. Her cheeks were flushed and the colour deepened, the longer Janai looked at her.  
But what could she do?  
Amaya was _breathtaking._  
Taking in every curve she had, every imperfection on her white skin, Janai couldn't believe that this was happening. Only a week ago she would have thought of it as preposterous. Only today she had denied that they were friends.  
And now they were here, about to take the next step.  
Next step where to? A relationship?  
Janai loved to imagine a relationship with Amaya but would it work? Where would they live, Lux Aurea? How would they communicate? Kazi couldn't be with them all the time.  
Janai forced herself to shake these thoughts off, here and now they weren't important.  
Instead she lifted her hand and placed it on Amaya's hip gently. She looked up that snow white body until she reached its owner's brown eyes.  
She still looked shy and almost scared.  
Janai's heart sent a warm feeling through her body.  
"Amaya," she mumbled, "my beauty. Don't be scared. I want you, I really want you."  
Amaya's lips turned into a smile and she bent down, lowering them on Janai's golden skin ornaments. First she traced them down to her navel, gently licking the golden lines around it. She travelled deeper, licking her skin, moaning quietly. She hooked her fingers into Janai's panty, pulling it down.  
The elf could not await what was coming. She was shaking and trembling, digging her fingers into the mattress. She closed her eyes, only enjoying the feeling of the human parting her legs and planting soft, wet kisses all along her abdomen. And inner thighs.  
Janai moaned, wishing Amaya could hear her erection. Well, she might have not heard her but she could definitely see ... and maybe even smell it.  
And taste ...  
The elf's mind was about to go crazy as the human's warm, wet tongue touched her most sensitive spot. Only shortly, only for a second. Janai winced.  
"No ... go on ..."  
But Amaya kept on teasing, caressing her inner thighs with her tongue. She moaned again, with turned Janai unbelievably on. She parted her legs more, hoping to show her, what she wanted ...  
And it worked. The General travelled her lips upwards again, towards Janai's middle.  
Touched her clit with the tip of her tongue ... and moved it away again.  
"Amaya," Janai whispered. "Please ... I need you ..."  
She knew Amaya couldn't hear her but she needed to say it. Her whole body was trembling in need and she couldn't hold it anymore. She sat up, wrapped her arms around Amaya's waist and pulled her up.  
"I need you now and I don't like this teasing," she whispered. "And I know you need me too. Am I right?"  
Wish red cheeks Amaya nodded.  
"Then ... shall I begin? I don't mind and I won't tease you," Janai suggested and Amaya shook her head.  
_It's_ _okay__, _she signed and kissed the other woman's lips gently, before she pushed her back again.  
This time she didn't hesitate so much. Janai parted her legs and Amaya immediately lowered her head, placing Janai's long, dark legs on her shoulders and her own lips between her thighs. Janai felt her warm tongue travel along her entry and heard another moan, a beautiful, satisfied moan.  
Janai sighed happily. Slowly she moved her hands up to her breasts, staring to caress her own nipples. Amaya had reached her most sensitive spot again and was now sucking it gently. It was amazing, not too hard but just hard enough. Goddess, this woman knew how to do it to her. Janai rolled her nipples, moaning again. Her pelvis shifted back and forth and Amaya moved along, not quite sure what to do.  
"Stay," Janai mumbled and reached down, placing her hand on Amaya's head to keep her in place, while she kept on moving her pelvis. "Stay like this ... this is fine ... oh shit, _yes!_" Janai's limbs clenched as they had found the right spot. Her thighs were quivering and she blindly reached for Amaya's head, gently pressing her harder against her middle. Due to the added pressure, she came.  
All of a sudden her limbs relaxed and she moaned as she rode out her climax, her legs and arms still twitching.

Amaya watched her come, a beautiful, dark skinned sunfire elf, moaning only because of her. Amaya had to smile - it seemed she hadn't done so much wrong after all. Janai had seemed to enjoy it. A lot.  
With a proud look on her face she watched Janai enjoy the last seconds of her orgasm and then, as it seemed to be over, she rolled herself together, breathing hard.  
Amaya placed a hand on her lover's arm, smiling as Janai looked at her.  
_Wow, _the elf said and smiled too. _You were amazing, Maya. __Thanks__._  
_Maya? _Amaya mouthed with a grin and Janai smiled weakly.  
_Sorry. __Can't__ really talk __right_ _now__. But instead you should lie __down_ _now__ -_  
Amaya shook her head - she had something else in mind. Spoiling the position that Janai was in, she turned her to her back again and placed her own legs over the elf's thighs, before she put her hands on her shoulders and pulled her upper body against hers.  
_Amaya, __what__ ... _Janai said lowly, her lips only inches away from Amaya's.  
But Amaya it grinned and took her lover's hand, travelling it down, between their naked bodies, between their thighs, until she covered her own middle with it.  
She watched Janai lean her head back. _You are _**_so _**_wet__,_ she said.  
Amaya moaned as Janai started to massage her clit. In return she inserted a finger between her elvish friend's wet folds, slowly pumping it inside and out, while crooking her finger in search for another sensitive spot inside the elf.  
She breathed hard and soon found her own lips against Janai's again, who had exchanged her finger with her thumb now to be able to properly take her with her other two fingers. Yes, two fingers she had inserted, if she added one more now, she would use her whole hand to take her. The image almost took Amaya's mind and it worsened as Janai pressed her free hand on Amaya's breast to knead it gently, to play with her nipple. Her tongue was exploring her mouth and her hand was almost fully inside of her ...  
Suddenly Amaya couldn't take it anymore.

Janai noticed that Amaya was about to come as she got tighter around her fingers.  
Janai pulled away to look at Amaya, who now leaned her head back and moaned. Janai sunk her lips on this beautiful, white shoulder, while pressing her thumb harder on the other woman's swollen bundle of nerves.  
"Come, baby, come for me," she whispered into the nape of her neck and planted a gentle kiss on her skin.  
"Aaah," Amaya made and Janai pulled back to have a look at her.  
Her lips parted, her eyebrows furrowed and then she released herself with a sigh, undeniably the name of her lover on her lips.  
"Janai ..."  
Janai stared at her.  
It hadn't sounded completely correct but Amaya was deaf and therefore it had sounded really good. For a few seconds Janai thought that she had misheard her, but what else could she have said?  
Janai swallowed and smiled as Amaya opened her eyes again after being done releasing herself.  
Janai slowly pulled her hand away and grinned. "Gotta have to wash my hands," she informed the other woman, who nodded with a light smile.  
Janai leant forward and kissed Amaya's nose before she left the bed.

Amaya watched the beautiful, tall elf dress herself again. She sprawled on the bed and smiled, provokingly showing her breasts to the other woman. She caught Janai's look and weak moan and giggled.  
The elf knelt down in front of the bed and kissed her gently. And as she pulled back she pointed at her lips to make Amaya's eyes drawn to them.  
As if Amaya could look anywhere else than those beautiful lips ...  
_Did you just call my name? _she asked and Amaya grinned as she nodded. So she hadn't missed it ...  
Janai shook her head in disbelief. _How? How could __you__ say my name? I asked you about words you could say and my name __wasn't__ with them ..._  
Amaya nodded again and pointed to the spot on the large bed where the parchment had landed some time ago. Janai grabbed it and handed it to her currently naked, human friend, who wrote:  
"Kazi taught me how to say your name because I love it so much. And I didn't tell you that I could say it because I wanted to surprise you."  
Janai stared at her. _You - __You__ suspected that we ... you __know__?_  
Amaya giggled and nodded again. "I guessed," she wrote. "I could feel the sexual tension between us from the start."

Janai looked at her for a while, not saying anything. Then she mumbled, "Fuck the hand washing," pulled down her nightwear once again and practically jumped on Amaya.  
She kissed her hard and with all her passion, touching her everywhere her hands could reach. And this time she was eager to taste her, too.  
She pressed the human on the mattress, parting her legs without waiting. She was still wet from her previous orgasm and Janai felt her mind turn from the intoxicating smell. With no hesitation she let her tongue run along Amaya's middle, slowly entering her with it. She was warm and wet and she tasted amazing ... Janai moaned against her, hoping she'd feel the vibration she caused.  
And Amaya did, at least she let out some more "Aaah"s that became more and more high pitched, the faster Janai moved her tongue inside of her. At some point she added her thumb from above, pressing it on her clit again. Amaya screamed quietly, making Janai believe that she was still sensitive from her past climax. Carefully she drew slow circles on it, she knew that being gentle was the best to do now, otherwise it would hurt her.  
She noticed quickly that she had chosen the right thing to do, Amaya's breath sped up all of a sudden and her thighs became tight. Her whole body began to tremble and she was moving her pelvis, like Janai had done before.  
The elf had to grin - oh, how she enjoyed to do that. She wished she could forever do this, just make love to this beautiful, wonderful, charming, breathtaking human lady.  
She could feel her human's walls grow tight around her tongue and applied some more pressure on her clit, causing the General to curse out loudly.  
"_Fuck!_" she called and then her limbs loosened. She moaned and sighed as if there was no tomorrow, while Janai greedily licked her dry. She hadn't thought the woman to taste so intensely good.

Amaya looked up and watched the gorgeous elf kiss her middle so relishing. She reached down and gently stroke one of her horns.  
Amazing ...  
Her body felt weak from the two orgasms she had had and Janai here between her legs made her want to take her once again. She sat up, making her elf look at her. Amaya smiled.  
Now she really was that.  
_Her _elf.  
_Did you __enjoy__ it? _Janai asked and Amaya nodded. Her eyes travelled down the other woman's body and she licked her lips. How obsessed she was with her ... She wished to savour her all night and for the rest of her life.  
_I want you over and __over_ _again__, _she signed, hoping that Janai would understand it. She didn't, obviously, so Amaya simply got on her knees and kissed the beautiful elf in front of her.  
This night wouldn't end so soon.

* * *

**Didya know ****that** **Janai's**** voice actress ships Janaya too? 🌝**  
**Also ****she's**** called Rena (like me) so ****I**** think ****that's**** even cooler****!**  
**And on New Year's Eve she answered me ****on** **Instagram**


	8. Chapter 8

Amaya yawned and stretched herself. She turned in her bed and her smiled broadened - next to her there was no one else than her beautiful elf, slumbering peacefully.  
Her heartrace sped up as she remembered what they had done last night and she moaned quietly as she remembered that this had probably not only been their first time - it had also been their last.  
She slipped out of the bed and got into her armour. While doing so, she noticed the several love bites all over her arms and chest. Well, if she'd die today, she at had least had an amazing night before that. She closed the belts over her armour and slipped out of her room. It was still dark outside and the others should wake up soon, the fight would start as soon as the sun had risen. She walked into the room of her nephews, not surprised to see not only Callum, Ezran, Zym and Bait there - there was also Rayla, not sleeping at all. She looked at Amaya as she entered and smiled carefully.  
Amaya tried to smile back in a friendly way, telling herself again that she hadn't kidnapped her nephews. She was a good elf ... as all the other elves.  
She walked to her oldest nephew and shook him lightly. He woke up and Amaya immediately signed,  
_Wake up, __sleepy head__. __We're__ off to __fight__ some dark, magic __ass__. Why __didn't_ _your__ elf __friend__ sleep?_  
Callum rubbed his eyes and looked at Rayla, his cheeks blushing. _She looked after us, _he explained and looked at his aunt again. _What about your elf not __friend__?_  
_She is my friend, _Amaya replied. _Or__ maybe even more. __But_ _don't__ tell her. __She's__ in my room._  
Callum's mouth went open. _More? What do you __mean__, more than a friend?_  
Amaya grinned and winked at her nephew in reply, who's mouth went even more agape. _Don't__ tell __anyone__ yet, _she quickly signed. _And now get up and get ready, we need __to__ make a plan._

Janai awoke and noticed that she was alone. She groaned quietly and stretched her muscles. They were both relaxed and tensed. What a woman ... and now she had left her back alone in bed? Really?  
Suddenly she remembered what they had to do today. Fight.  
"Fuck," Janai sighed and got out of the warm, cosy bed. She knew she would fight well, of course, she always did. But today she'd even fight better, because it was for her. For them.  
Janai put on her the nightclothes, planning a way to sneak back into her room. It was still dark outside but she could feel the sun slowly rising. Soon, only about an hour left.  
And they had no plan yet.  
Janai got out of the room quickly and hurried back to her own room - and of course someone noticed her.  
"Sneaking back to your quarters, huh?"  
Janai winced and turned around, looking into the grinning faces of Amaya and her teenage nephew.  
"Amaya," she gasped and her eyes darted between her and the boy. "Uhm ... Callum, right?"  
Callum nodded.  
"No, I'm not sneaking back. I'm just - I was about to put my armour on. We need to work on a plan, you know."  
"Already done," Callum said. "Amaya woke me up extra early. We're going to present it in a few minutes. So, what were you doing in my aunt's room?"  
Callum's face was calm and somehow ... knowing.  
Janai's eyes went to Amaya herself, but her face didn't give anything away.  
"Depends," she said and a sly grin formed on her face. "How much are you supposed to know about what two women do if they're alone?"  
Callum's eyes went wide and Amaya finally moved, standing between them. She stood with her hands on her hips and shook her head.  
"Aunt Amaya already gave me a hint," Callum called from behind her, "you only confirmed it. Thank you."  
"Oh," Janai made and stepped aside to have a look at Callum again. "You won't tell anyone, right?"  
"I'll be as quiet as a mouse," the boy promised. "And now get into your gear, we need to get ready!"

The fight was over.  
Janai was standing with Soren, talking about Viren and that he hadn't been found yet. Amaya was a few steps away, looking at her youngest nephew, the real king of Katolis, talking to a red dragon, as someone came running to them.  
Janai turned around, ready to fight on, but to her surprise he was running towards Amaya.  
And Amaya, her Amaya, started smiling all over her face.  
She hugged the redhead and it looked almost too familiar to Janai. Who was he?  
Janai tried not to show too much jealousy but as the man rubbed his eyes and Amaya caressed his shoulder, she suspected him to be a good friend to Amaya. Maybe even more ... like her.  
Her attention was suddenly drawn to young Ezran, though, who said,  
"Now that the battle is over, we need to help the wounded. And free these dragons."  
Amaya signed something and the redhead translated:  
"I'm worried. It's not over until we've found Viren."  
Janai understood - he was her translator. But that didn't mean that Amaya didn't see more in him ...  
Shaking these thoughts off, she stepped forward. "I'll order a massive search of the entire battlefield. We will find him and capture him. We won't let him get away."  
She felt Amaya's gaze on her and looked at her, smiling lightly.  
Amaya winked.  
Then the adults helped the kids and soldiers unchain the captured dragons.  
In order to be nice, Janai went to Amaya's redhead friend to introduce herself, while the General helped Soren unchain a dragon. "I'm Janai," she told him, "Golden Knight and soon to be Queen of Lux Aurea ... and capturer of General Amaya."  
"Oh," the redhead said and crossed his arms. "So you were the one to capture her ... yes, I remember you. Don't think you can imprison her again once this is over."  
"I'm not intending to," Janai said icily. "I'm intending to let her free and do whatever she wants to. But maybe she ... maybe she might go back to Lux Aurea with me on her own."  
"Why should she?" the man said. "She and her heart belong to Katolis."  
"Is that so?" Janai couldn't suppress her smile. "What if her heart tells her to stay with me?"  
Slowly the man uncrossed his arms. "What ...?"  
Janai shrugged. "Just an idea. A stupid one."  
And without waiting for the man to introduce himself, she turned around and went away.

Then it was finally over completely.  
They all were in the Dragon Queen's sleeping quarters, watching her waking up.  
Amaya couldn't believe her eyes as the tall creature opened her muzzle to talk. She'd give everything right now to understand what she was saying but somehow it was clear - she was wondering about elves and humans being here in unison. Amaya proudly looked at her nephew taking Rayla's hand and she elbowed Janai.  
Janai immediately understood and held out her hand for Amaya to take it.  
Amaya did and Janai squeezed her hand.  
Together they smiled at the Dragon Queen, both feeling their hearts swell with something not yet possible to name.  
Both knew that they had to talk about it.

But it had to wait.  
Amaya and Gren were sitting on a stone step, deepened in a conversation.  
_That tall elf __over__ there, _Gren signed, _Your__ capturer. __She's__ the __Queen__ of Lux Aurea?_  
_Yes, Janai, _Amaya signed back.  
Gren nodded. _She's__ already introduced herself. She __seemed__ kind of ... cold._  
Amaya laughed. _Cold? No, Gren, she's anything else __but__ that. Janai is rather ... hot.__ Before, during __the__ fight, someone has hurt __me__. And __she__ went totally __crazy__, got into __her__ berserk mode and all because of it._  
Now Gren grinned. _Hot, Amaya?_  
Amaya nodded. _She __hasn't_ _only__ captured me. She has also captured my heart._  
_Really? _Gren was smiling. _Are you in love with her?_  
_I __can't__ name it yet. But __I__ think so, _Amaya signed and looked at her friend and voice with sad eyes. _I would like to go back to Lux Aurea with her._  
Now Gren nodded. _She has already said something like __that__. Of course __it__ makes me sad -_  
Amaya took his hands and shook her head. Then she signed: _You__ will be the substitute General until __I__ get back. If __I__ ever_ _get_ _back__._  
_But Amaya - __I'm_ _not__ a General, _Gren signed and Amaya took his hands again.  
_I'm__ talking now, _she signed, _don't__ you dare to interrupt me. And you are a General. I will make you a General._  
Gren's mouth was wide agape.  
_I need to __know_ _what__ this thing between me and Janai is. And if __I_ _don't_ _return__, __you'll__ be the new __General__ of the Standing Batallion. Take care __of__ my nephews, together __with__ Corvus and Opeli __you'll__ make it._  
_And what about you? _Gren asked with tears in his eyes.  
_Maybe __I'll_ _soon__ be a __Queen__, _Amaya replied and hugged her friend.

Janai walked towards them. They've been hugging each other for minutes now and her heart was exploding with jealousy. Now she couldn't take it anymore.  
She went to them, grabbed Amaya's shoulder and pulled her away from the man.  
"I'll be leaving," she told her.  
"Hold on, we were just saying goodbye," the redhead said and Janai stared at him.  
"What do you mean? Isn't she going back to Katolis?"  
"No. As you said," the man replied with an honest smile, "She's returning to Lux Aurea with you."  
Janai stared at him.  
And then her eyes darted to Amaya, who sat there and smiled up to her.  
Janai fell on her knees. "You'll come with me?" she whispered and Amaya cupped her face.  
"Yes!" the General exhaled. And then she placed her lips on Janai's for a moment.  
She pulled away quickly again, not because she feared other people's reaction, but because she feared Janai's reaction of making it official.  
Janai really couldn't care less, though. She hugged the human and looked up to her red haired friend, who smiled down to them.  
"I'm Gren, by the way," he said. "And if you had asked earlier, I could have told you that she likes you. I know her."  
"Sorry. I was ... maybe a bit jealous," Janai admitted and let go of Amaya. "I didn't know if she was even interested in women."  
Amaya laughed and stood up, turned to Gren and signed something.  
"She wants me to tell you that she is interested in both men and women," Gren said.  
Amaya signed on.  
"I wasn't really sure about it, since I have never been intimate with a woman before," Gren translated and then his eyes squinted. "Until last night?"  
He looked at Janai. "Have you two ... oh, I don't even want to know. I'm happy for you. Also I've never heard Amaya talking on her own will, so you must be good for her."  
"Thank you," Janai replied and grinned. "She knows how to scream my name."  
"I said I don't want to know!" Gren said loudly and both Amaya and Janai laughed.  
Then the elf took the human's hand again and pulled her over to her sunfire elves.  
"Thank you for fighting," she announced herself and everyone turned to them, bowing to them. "We've lost many good people but not everyone and I'm thankful for that. We've taken revenge on Queen Khessa and we've fought bravely for our land! Now it's time to return back home and do whatever is necessary."  
"Crown you, for instance," one of the soldiers in the first row said and earned supporting mumbles.  
"Yes ..." Janai mumbled back. "I probably can't prohibit its happening. But I do have one requirement."  
She looked at Amaya with the softest look she could allow on herself.  
"I'm taking General Amaya with me," she said. "And you will accept her by my side. Not as my prisoner or pet but as my ... friend. And more. As my partner."  
Amaya smiled back at her and nodded. And as they looked back at the sunfire elves, they didn't see a single disapproving face.

They rode back on Tigris.  
Amaya had slung her arms around her friend tightly.  
Not only them were flying, also her heart was flying with happiness.  
She had no idea what would await her ... and this was good.


	9. Chapter 9

She groaned as she could finally let her armour fall.  
Several cuts and bruises were decorating her skin, but nothing bad. She felt her back ache and wondered if it was from being thrown against Janai or because she was not the youngest person out there anymore and fighting wasn't exactly good for her old ass. She stretched her back, felt it crack and sighed.  
Janai had offered her to take a bath first thing when they had arrived back in Lux Aurea.  
Now she was there, in the personal bathroom of the Golden Knight, slowly undressing herself.  
She had told her that she had nothing against taking the public bath house but Janai just hadn't paid much attention to her.  
_Yours is mine now, too. __You're__ my partner. This is also __your__ bathroom now, _she had said.  
Partner.  
Amaya still didn't know what Janai meant with this little word, because for her there was still a slight difference between "partners" and "girlfriends". And Janai hadn't dropped that other word yet, hadn't even properly looked at her ever since they had returned to Lux Aurea.  
Amaya stood with her back to the door, obviously not noticing Janai entering.  
Only as she touched her shoulder, Amaya realised that she wasn't alone. She turned around, covering her naked breasts and laughed as she spotted her elf, only wearing a royal and - what a surprise - golden nightgown. She pulled her hands away again.  
Janai had already seen her naked after all.  
_I __brought__ you some towels, _she informed her without looking at her directly. _Tell me if you need anything else._  
Amaya placed her arms around the elf and tried to kiss her but Janai turned her head away. Impatiently she grabbed the elf's chin and forced her to look at her again, just like Janai had done it a few days back in the fire ring.  
"What?" she bellowed, making Janai look at her with wide eyes. Amaya guessed she never ceased to surprise her.  
_You're__ just __so__ ... __so__ gorgeous, _Janai said and Amaya could see that something was wrong.  
Gently she let her fingers run along the golden lines of her beautiful face paint.  
Janai sighed.  
_I just think it __wasn't__ the right thing that you gave up your __life__ for me. __Your__ status, __Your__ nephews, your friends ..._  
Amaya shook her head, pulled her hands away and started signing. She knew it was senseless, Janai didn't understand her. But she needed to get it off her chest.  
_You_ _are__ my __life_ _now__, _she signed. _I __didn't__ give up __anything__, __I__ simply added more to my life. __Better_ _memories__ to be, an even better life with you. I __didn't__ give up, __I__ embraced the chance to be __with_ _you__ for the rest of my __life__. Because __I_ _want__ to be __with__ you__._  
Janai grabbed her hands to stop them from signing.  
_Amaya, _she sighed. _Stop. I only understood some words. Do you want to write __it__ down?_  
Amaya shook her head, taking Janai's face into her hands again. There was something else she wanted to do. Gently she pulled her close and kissed her lips, letting her hands wander down, pulling the strings of Janai's nightgown.

Janai let it happen, kissed her back gently. She placed her hands on the other woman's waist, travelled it up and down, caressed all the blue spots on the milklike skin.  
She carefully dragged her over to the large tub, where the water was bubbling already and various smells of her precious essential oils, which Amaya probably had just poured inside, filled her nostrils.  
Janai pulled away and watched the soldier groan as she got into the tub. She turned her back to her and Janai gasped. Her back looked very bruised.  
"Oh, dear," she said and quickly got into the tub, looking at her. "Does your back hurt?"  
Amaya nodded.  
"It looks quite injured," Janai informed her. "May I touch it? I need to check if something's broken."  
Amaya nodded again and turned around, crossing her arms at the edge of the tub and placing her head on it.  
Janai carefully touched her lover's back and kneaded it carefully. She went further down and soon moans were filling the air. Not painful moaning, no, Amaya sounded very pleased. The sounds went straight to Janai's core and suddenly she felt a strange tension between her legs.  
Janai's hands went deeper and Amaya's moans turned louder and louder.  
Janai soon had reached her butt and did not hesitate to grab and knead it as well.  
This time Amaya's moans were so loud and high pitched, Janai feared she would already come from only her touches.  
She had to grin at the imagination. Gently she circled her arms around the human's slim body and pulled her back against her own front body, her hand vanishing between Amaya's legs.  
Amaya was still holding onto the edge of the bathtub, reading herself even harder against Janai. Her eyes were closed and she let her head fall on Janai's left shoulder.  
"Oh, Amaya," Janai whispered and kissed the spot where the General's throat met her shoulder, while gently moving her finger in and out of her.  
The position they were in was very beneficial, as Janai didn't have to add an extra finger to stimulate the outer sensitive spot of the other woman, her hand was already grazing it as she moved her fingers into her and out again.  
"Ahh, yes," Amaya panted and Janai kissed her throat again. She love it when Amaya dropped little words to tell her that she enjoyed it. Her free hand travelled to the soldier's breasts. She moved her fingers along the lower part of them, deciding for her right breast to grab. Her thumb flickered over the - in spite of hot water - hard nipple and now she could feel how Amaya became tight around her fingers, her clit now incredibly swollen.  
She really seemed to like her nipples to get caressed.  
She moaned and sighed as Janai rolled it between her fingers, her pumping getting faster and her stroking against her clit only more and more intensive.  
Janai noticed that Amaya had reached her climax as she pressed head against her shoulder, her mouth wide agape and her breathing high pitched. Then she didn't move for a few seconds, in which Janai felt warmth around her inserted fingers.  
Then Amaya released a long groan and shivered, collapsing inside of the elf's arms.  
Janai held her for a while, making sure she wouldn't drown. Her skin was hot and Janai could feel her heart beating fast.  
She breathed a kiss on the human's neck. "Thank you for being you," she mumbled.  
At those words Amaya turned around, her brown eyes wide. She smiled and for a moment Janai thought that she had heard them. But then she remembered that she had probably just felt her breath against her skin and figured that she had said something.  
"You're wonderful," Janai whispered and stroke Amaya's blushing cheek.  
"You," she croaked.  
"I am wonderful?" Janai asked and shook her head. "I am not. _You _are, Amaya. Only you."  
She kissed the human's forehead. Damn, she couldn't deny any longer.  
She had fallen so, so hard.

They returned from the bath, finally not so filthy anymore. Not in the meaning of body dirt.  
Amaya walked to the large bed, grabbing the parchment and pen from the little nightstand next to it.  
Janai was still drying her long hair, watching her write from next to the door.  
Amaya flashed a short smile at her and returned to the bathroom when she was done, showing the written text to her partner.  
"Something I have wanted to ask you for a while," there stood. "After that guy has grabbed me and thrown me against you, I told you I was okay. Yet you went totally berserk and almost killed him, which would have been fine. But you literally smacked his ass, more than necessary. You could have just stabbed him with your nice, little sword but you seemed to have the urge to release your frustration on him. Why?"  
Janai looked at her and smiled. _You watched me?_  
Amaya turned the parchment back to her, writing,  
"Yes. Soren brought me away from the field for a while but I really was okay. I watched you though and it seemed that you wanted to revenge me."  
Janai nodded and took Amaya's hand, brining it up to her face. _Look at me, _she pleaded and Amaya locked their eyes. Her orange eyes looked so warm and filled with love ...  
Amaya's heart jumped and she looked back at the elf's lips.  
_I was so angry at him that he hurt you. __For__ a moment I simply imagined __that__ he could have killed you. And then __I__ would have killed him. I __didn't__ succeed __to__ protect my sister and __I_ _almost_ _wasn't__ able to to __protect__ you._  
Amaya snorted, pulled her hand away and wrote:  
"I don't need protection."  
Janai grinned. _I __know__. But please let me have that honour anyway. I like the idea of protecting you. __You're__ my partner, remember._  
"What else am I to you?" Amaya wrote down at the parchment, her hands shaking. "Your ally? Your friend? Your lover?"  
_You're__ my lover, if you want to, _Janai said and took Amaya's hand, kissing her knuckles. _You may be __everything__ you want to be. My lover, __my__ girlfriend ..._  
Amaya looked at her, her heart now racing fast.  
"I want to be your girlfriend," she wrote down and shyly smiled up to her.  
_And __I__ want you to be mine __and__ me to be __yours__, _Janai replied and Amaya grabbed her wrists.  
The parchment fell to the floor but no one could care less as the human pulled the elf away from the bathroom door and towards the bed.  
Luckily they were still naked, so Amaya didn't have to bother with annoying clothes. She would take her girlfriend right here and there, just like she deserved it.  
She pressed her down on the bed, hovered over her and moved her leg between her long, silky, dark legs. Her knee moved up and up until it hit her middle. Carefully she moved her knee, not too fast and not too rough.  
Janai gasped.  
And so did Amaya as she felt how wet her girl was. Gently she bent down to kiss her lips, before moving them down her body.  
She only stopped at her nipples, licking over them, playing with them with the tip of her tongue.  
Oh, how she wished to be able to hear. There was nothing she wanted more than hearing this beautiful woman moan and scream because of her.  
Knowing that she never would, she had to rely on the fact that Janai would tell her whenever she liked or disliked something in another way.  
It hadn't been so difficult with men. They all had liked the same kind of stuff and none of them had been hard to please nor ever dissatisfied with how Amaya had given herself to them.  
But Amaya welcomed this challenge.  
Especially because she had never ever felt like this for anyone before.  
Never.  
She knew that this was a sign, Janai was the right one for her, her one and only, her true love ...  
She moaned quietly as her tongue entered her beloved's private area, tasting the sweet bitterness of her erection.  
She took the thighs of the beautiful elf and pressed them apart, making it easier to place her face beneath her legs.  
Again Janai was trembling beneath her, especially when the tip of Amaya's tongue grazed her slowly growing clit.  
Finally she concentrated on the most sensitive part and closed her lips around it, sucking carefully. Her eyes wandered up for a moment to watch Janai's reaction - and it was good.  
The woman had her mouth opened and Amaya longed to hear her scream.  
She reached up to caress her tensed thighs. Oh, she was close. Amaya could feel it.  
She took the sides of Janai's thighs and slowly pressed them together again, until they touched her temples.  
And as if Janai had just waited for some added pressure, her back suddenly arched and her whole body was shaking.  
And then she collapsed. Her whole body just fell on the bed loosely and Amaya bent over her, watching her with a smile.  
She could tell that Janai was breathing hard. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was still open.  
And as she opened her eyes, she smiled at Amaya.  
Suddenly her lips moved and Amaya looked down at them, her eyes widening at what they said.  
_I love you._


	10. Chapter 10

_I love you._  
Her eyes widened as Janai's lips formed those words and for a moment she thought she had misinterpreted it. Maybe she had just thanked her ... for no matter what. Or told her to move away from above her.  
But then Janai smiled shyly and her hand touched Amaya's arm, gently caressing her skin. Her lips moved again.  
_By__ the Sources, I love __you__._  
Now Amaya had to smile too.  
She placed her palm on the elf's palm, entwining her fingers with hers and lifted up her other hand, her middle and ring finger touching the insides of her hand.  
The sign meant _I love you _but Amaya doubted that Janai would understand her.  
And really, the elf's orange eyes went down to Amaya's hand and up to her face again.  
_Does that __mean_ _you__ love me back? _she asked, her expression seeming insecure.  
Amaya smiled broadly and nodded.  
Janai let out a relieved breath and pulled her down to kiss her.

Janai was awakened early in the morning.  
Her servants obviously hadn't expected a female human inside her bed (they had seen many women in her bed before, though of course never a human) but didn't comment on it. She was the Queen now and besides that, she had always done whatever she liked.  
She told the servants to go out while she would get dressed, ignoring the protests of them. They claimed that they needed to help her, she was a Queen to be!  
"I still can get dressed myself," she told them and closed the door.  
That ... and they shouldn't see all the love bites all over her body. Thankfully they weren't as visible on her dark skin as on Amaya's, but still.  
Janai enjoyed how she didn't have to be quiet while getting dressed, remembering how her last ex-girlfriend had always woken up whenever she had left in the morning.  
She placed her headpiece on the top of her head and went outside.  
She walked to the great hall, not knowing what to expect inside.  
And what she saw almost took her breath.  
It was a tall, male sunfire elf with short, dark red dreadlocks and a mischievous grin.  
"Ilios!" Janai breathed and hugged her brother. "What - why -"  
"Sister," the other sunfire elf replied, gently hugging her back. "What did you expect? I've been hearing about Khessa's passing and did not hesitate to come back for your coronation."  
"Yes ... that." Janai sighed and eyed her younger brother. "How much did you hear?"  
"Aaravos killed her, as far as I know," Ilios replied, "with the help of a human. Ugh. Disgusting creatures."  
"Yes," Janai said slowly. "We need to talk, I think. A lot."  
"Why? Don't tell me you're not going to be Queen!"  
"I will, I will," Janai said quickly and took her brother's hand, pulling him into the dining room. "Let's have some breakfast first. When did you arrive?"  
"An hour ago. Your servants told me you were asleep and exhausted from the fight at the Storm Spire. Of course I asked them which fight they were talking about and I am really impressed! An army full of humans and you won! Really good, sister, I'm proud of you."  
"Yes," Janai said again and together they sat down at the long, golden table. Servants placed food in front of them and they started eating. "Did they tell you anything else?"  
"Not so many details. That we've lost people to the humans."  
Janai sighed. "Ilios - everything's a bit more complicated than you might think. See ... not every human is evil. A few of them fought on our side!"  
Ilios looked at his sister, not knowing if she was joking or not.  
"Yes, yes," Janai said. "It all started with two boys befriending a Moonshadow elf - don't look at me like that. They returned the Dragon Prince to his mother!"  
"Yes, so I've heard," Ilios said, "but I can't quite believe it. You've seen it?"  
"With my own eyes," Janai said. "They fought very bravely, too. All those humans who weren't on the dark mage's side did. And then there's ..." She bit her lip befire talking on. "I ... I also befriended a human. The boy's aunt."  
"Oh?" Ilios replied and cocked an eyebrow at his sister. "You _befriended_ her?"  
Janai knew this look. He highly doubted it.  
"Well, first I captured and imprisoned her. But somehow we got along quite well and ... well." She didn't look into her brother's eyes. How should she tell him?  
"That's ... nice," Ilios finally said. "So everything I've heard is true, okay. I can accept that." And suddenly he leaned forward. "And how's the love life of my dearest sister going?"  
Janai gulped down a piece of Xadian jackfruit.  
"I ... uh ... might have a girlfriend," she said.  
Ilios laughed and clapped his hands. "I know. The servants are talking."  
Janai groaned. "Seriously? Why didn't you tell me that you know already? What do they talk?"  
"First of all, dear sister, because I wanted you to tell me yourself. And second - they don't say a lot. Only that she's deaf ...?"  
"Oh." Janai sunk her eyes. "Yeah. She is."  
"So, are you learning how to use sign language?"  
"Yes," Janai said. "I'm trying my best but it's not so easy. Kazi, I don't know if you remember them, was our translator so far."  
"Hmm," Ilios said. "And what's her name?"  
"Amaya," Janai answered. Should she tell him already?  
"What a unique name," Ilios replied, "but nice. When will I meet her?"  
"Soon, she's in my bedroom," Janai replied and Ilios gasped.  
"She's - go get her, elder sister!"  
Janai rolled her eyes. Ever since their childhood they've been teasing each other with "younger brother" and "elder sister" - even though there were only a few minutes between them.

Amaya woke up as someone was caressing her face.  
She opened her eyes and spotted Janai, which made her smile immediately.  
_Good morning, dear, _the elf said and Amaya yawned in reply.  
_Get __up__ as fast as quickly, _Janai went on, _there __is__ someone __I__ want __you__ to meet._  
She pulled Amaya out of the bed and then went over to her own closet, pulling out a set of sunfire elf clothes.  
_This should __work__, _she said with an apologetic look directed to Amaya. _We should buy some clothes for __you__ ... you __can't__ always run around in your armour.__ Or naked. _She grimaced.  
Amaya snickered and took the clothes that Janai was offering to her.  
It was a mix between a casual dress and light armour. It looked very elegant yet comfortable.  
_Thank you, _Amaya signed, then reached for the parchment and pen.  
"Whom am I going to meet?" she wrote.  
Janai placed her hand on Amaya's shoulder, smiling at her lightly.  
_I __haven't__ told you everything about my family yet, _she replied and caressed Amaya's chin. _Khessa __wasn't_ _my__ only sibling._  
"You have another sister?" Amaya wrote on the parchment and Janai shook her head.  
_A brother, _she replied and Amaya smiled.  
"Younger?" she wrote.  
_Yes, _Janai said and obviously couldn't suppress a smile. _For__ about fifteen minutes._  
Amaya gasped. "You have a twin brother?" she wrote and stared at her girlfriend, who was laughing and nodding.  
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Amaya wrote on and Janai shrugged.  
_He lives at the other side of Xadia. I rarely see him. Never, actually. __He's__ also very ... complicated. He never got __along__ with our __parents__ and later Khessa and he already let me know __that__ he thinks bad __about__ humans. __I'm_ _really__ scared that he __won't__ like you ..._  
"Hm, maybe he won't," Amaya replied. "But you love me. And he loves you, I guess. He will have to accept it."  
_I guess, _Janai said and squeezed Amaya's hand. _And now get dressed. He __can't__ wait to meet you._

Janai was shaking.  
While Ilios was still waiting inside the during room, Janai led her lover towards the great hall. She looked adorable in her clothes, they were a little too big for the General, since Janai was a bit curvier than her, but the colours really suited her a lot.  
She pulled her towards the dining room, coming to stand just before the entrance.  
"Wait here," she said and entered the dining room again.  
"So ... where is she?" Ilios asked with a curious face and Janai sighed.  
"Brother ... there is more you have to know about her. Do you remember what I told you before? About the boys who have returned Azymondias?"  
"Yes," Ilios answered. "What about them?"  
"It's about their aunt," Janai said.  
Ilios leaned back. "The one you befriended?"  
Janai nodded. "Yes. Stay here, I'll get Amaya."  
She sprinted back outside, her heart beating so fast she could feel it inside her throat. She grabbed Amaya's hand and pulled her into the dining room.  
"Ilios - this is Amaya. The human I told you about, the boy's aunt."  
At first Ilios said nothing. Then he looked at Janai with a light smile.  
"Is this a joke, sister?"  
Janai felt Amaya move next to her and squeezed her hand. "It's not," she replied. "Amaya and I are a couple."  
Ilios' eyes wandered to their entwined hands. "Why?" he simply asked.  
"Because, brother, we fell in love. I couldn't do anything against it nor could I have suppressed these feelings. It just happened. And believe me - I was freaking out as well. A human!"  
"Yes ... a human." Ilios wasn't looking at Amaya. Not a single time. His eyes were directed at Janai only. "And what do you think will the future bring for you? You're too different, sister."  
"We aren't that different," Janai explained. "Only that we aren't the same race ... but that doesn't mean anything. We're both fierce soldiers, we have the same kind of humour and we love each other. We are made for each other."  
"If you believe so, sister," Ilios replied and shrugged. "You also thought of Soile being your one and only as far as I remember. I'll give you a month, maybe two."  
Then he turned back to his food.  
Janai felt how her face turned hot and she had to restrain herself from going into her heat-being mode. With a racing heart she turned to Amaya, whose face was indefinable.  
"I'm sorry," Janai whispered and went over to her brother, crossing her arms in front of him.  
"You know," she started and surprised herself with how calm her voice sounded, "I honestly don't care what you think of this relationship. Who are you to judge? You never bothered to show up on our birthday so tell me one good reason I shouldn't banish you as soon as I get crowned."  
"Because I'm your twin brother and we grew up together," Ilios said and looked at her with a challenging face. "You can't banish me."  
"I can. I'm not asking you to approve mine and Amaya's relationship, I'm only asking you to accept it. And if you can't, I may not accept that you didn't stay for Khessa's coronation."  
"It's no secret that I didn't support the way of her ruling," Ilios replied immediately. "She was conceited and unfair. _You_ should have become Queen right away! You know I usually accept anything you do, beloved twin sister, just think back to the time you came out to our family. Didn't I support you? But now all I can do is to imagine you in bed together with a _human_ ... And that's just disgusting."  
"How dare you speak like this!" Janai inhaled sharply. "How - have you ever considered the fact that she makes me happy? That she makes me whole? That she makes me feel like I was somebody, after years of standing in your shadow?"  
"You never stood in my shadow, Your Radiance." Ilios almost spat the last two words and Janai could only shake her head.  
"I'm done here. Enjoy your breakfast," she said quietly, turned around and pulled Amaya along.

Amaya was confused and she felt guilty, for Janai and her brother had obviously fought because of her. Janai had even threatened to banish him!  
And now they were returning to the great hall, where Janai took her place on the throne amd crossed her arms. She looked very, very angry.  
Amaya lofted her hands, slowly signing _What was that?_  
Janai's face softened. _Sorry, dear, _she said. _My brother and __I__ have a __complicated__ relationship too. Even though __we're__ twins. __It's_ _not__ easy._  
Amaya nodded, thinking of how to ask the next question. _Why did you say __you've__ always been standing in his shadow?_  
Janai looked at her, her eyes questioning.  
"Hm," Amaya made and signed again:  
_Why ... __shadow__?_  
Janai understood. _Why __I__ was standing in his shadow?_  
Amaya nodded.  
_Well ... _The sunfire elf laughed dryly. _Ilios and me had our __fighting__ lessons together. And __what__ should __I__ say, he was so much better than me. He was first choice to __become__ the Golden Knight._  
Amaya shook her head. _No way!_  
Janai shrugged. _Believe me, he would beat you in combat. __He's__ amazingly talented. But __somehow__ he never wanted __to__ become the Golden Knight, __you know__? When he and __I__ were 20 our father died and since our mother was __already__ dead, Khessa __was_ _about__ to __become__ Queen. Ilios was furious. He wanted me to rule Lux Aurea __because__ he __didn't__ think that our sister deserved it __and__ started to __fight__ with Khessa. Then he left, a day __before__ her coronation ... __And__ he never came __back_ _until_ _now__. I met him a few years ago, __he's_ _only__ been travelling Xadia __and_ _living__ a very free and unbound __life__._  
Amaya reached forward and took her elf's hand, who looked down at their hands and smiled sadly.  
_I __knew he_ _wouldn't_ _accept__ our love. But __this_ _won't__ stop us ... right?_  
She looked at Amaya again, making her smile.  
"No," she said, determined.


End file.
